What Is a Dental Emergency?

We all have different definitions of the word “emergency.” While your child may consider interrupting your phone call to ask for a snack an urgent matter, you may not agree. Similarly, you may also not know what constitutes a dental emergency. Does your tooth need to be broken or bleeding? Is a toothache enough of a reason to schedule an appointment with your dentist? Here’s how you can tell if your oral health issue needs immediate attention.

Tooth Pain

One of the most confusing things to experience is tooth pain, especially if you can’t see a problem. Tooth pain can come and go, or it can be constant. It can often be treated by over-the-counter medications, or it can sometimes be too strong for them to help. If your pain isn’t constant or is very mild, you can probably wait until your next dental exam to have it evaluated, however if the pain is intense or constant, you should schedule an appointment to be seen as soon as possible.

Causes of Tooth Pain

There are many reasons your tooth can hurt, some urgent, some not. These include:

• Injury or trauma: if you have experienced trauma to your tooth, this is an urgent matter, and you should be seen by your dentist as soon as possible.
• Arthritis in the jaw: If you are experiencing arthritis symptoms, speak to your dentist or rheumatologist about pain relief solutions.
• Infection: tooth infections can often spread to other teeth, so if you are experiencing a tooth infection, please don’t delay scheduling an urgent appointment.
• Bruxism (teeth grinding): Your dentist can help treat teeth grinding. This can cause you to break or crack your teeth, so if you find yourself grinding your teeth it is best to be seen as soon as possible before you cause any permanent damage.
• Cavity: Left untreated, cavities can get worse with time, so if you notice a spot forming in your tooth schedule an appointment to be evaluated.
• Sinus infection:  Because your sinuses are so close to your jaw, your sinus pain can often radiate to your teeth. Thankfully, this is temporary and should subside once your sinus infection clears up.
• Impacted wisdom tooth: Impacted wisdom teeth should be extracted to prevent further damage to other teeth. If yours are hurting, schedule an appointment with your dentist to discuss your options.

Remember, tooth pain is not normal, so if you are experiencing anything out of the ordinary, it is best to be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.

About Dr. Nowacki

Dr. Christopher Nowacki is proud to offer cutting-edge dental care to patients of all ages. He enjoys working together with each individual to help customize their care in a way that is meaningful and helpful to them. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Florida Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry.

To schedule an emergency dental appointment at Beautiful You Dental, please visit our website or call us today at 321-724-9300.