Dental emergencies can happen when you least expect them. A tooth may suddenly become painful, a filling or crown can fall out, or an accident can damage a tooth. Knowing what to do in the moment can help protect your oral health and may even make the difference between saving and losing a tooth.
While some dental problems require immediate attention, not every dental concern is an emergency. The important thing is knowing which situations should be addressed quickly, how to protect your teeth until you can see a dentist, and when emergency medical care is more appropriate.
If you experience a dental emergency, contact your dentist as soon as possible. Prompt professional care can help relieve discomfort, prevent additional damage, and determine whether the affected tooth can be saved.
What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency generally involves significant pain, trauma, bleeding, infection, or damage that requires prompt dental attention.
Common dental emergencies include:
- Severe or persistent tooth pain
- A knocked-out permanent tooth
- A cracked or fractured tooth
- A tooth that has been partially dislodged
- A lost or broken dental crown
- A lost filling
- A dental abscess or signs of infection
- Significant swelling of the gums, face, or jaw
- Uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth
- An injury to the teeth, gums, or jaw
- A broken orthodontic appliance that is causing injury
Some dental problems may not cause severe pain but should still be evaluated promptly. For example, a cracked tooth can worsen even if the discomfort is initially mild.
If you're unsure whether your situation qualifies as a dental emergency, call your dental office. The team can help you determine how quickly you should be seen.
What Should You Do During a Dental Emergency?
The first step is to stay as calm as possible and protect the affected area until you can receive professional care.
Contact Your Dentist
Call Smiles Dental Center as soon as you can and explain what happened. Be specific about your symptoms. Let our dental team know if you have severe pain, swelling, bleeding, a broken tooth, or another type of injury.
Your dentist can provide instructions based on your situation and arrange an emergency appointment when appropriate.
Rinse Your Mouth Gently
If your mouth has been injured or a tooth has broken, gently rinse with water. This can help remove blood, food particles, and debris without irritating the area further. Avoid aggressively rinsing or scrubbing an injured area.
Use a Cold Compress for Swelling
If you have swelling after an injury, a cold compress applied to the outside of the cheek can help reduce swelling and discomfort.
Use the compress for short intervals rather than placing ice directly against the skin.
Preserve a Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out permanent tooth is one of the most time-sensitive dental emergencies.
If a permanent tooth has been completely knocked out, carefully pick it up by the crown—the portion normally visible in the mouth. Avoid touching the root.
If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with water without scrubbing it. If possible, the tooth may be carefully placed back into its socket. If that isn't possible, keep it moist in an appropriate liquid such as milk or saliva and contact a dentist immediately.
The sooner a knocked-out permanent tooth is evaluated, the better the chance may be of successful treatment.
A baby tooth that has been knocked out should not generally be placed back into the socket because of the risk of damaging the developing permanent tooth. Contact your dentist for instructions.
What If a Dental Crown or Filling Falls Out?
If a crown or filling comes out, save the restoration if you can and contact your dentist.
Avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and keep the area clean. The exposed tooth may be sensitive and could be more vulnerable to additional damage.
Don't use household glue to try to permanently reattach a dental crown or filling. Your dentist can determine whether the restoration can be repaired or replaced.
What If You Crack or Break a Tooth?
A cracked or broken tooth should be evaluated promptly, even if it doesn't hurt much.
Depending on the extent of the damage, your dentist may be able to repair the tooth with a filling, bonding, crown, or another restorative treatment. More extensive fractures may require additional treatment.
Until you're seen, avoid chewing on the damaged tooth and keep the area clean.
If a piece of the tooth has broken off, save it and bring it to your appointment. While the fragment may not always be usable, your dentist can evaluate it.
What About a Severe Toothache?
A severe toothache can have several causes, including decay, an infection, a cracked tooth, or inflammation affecting the tooth's inner tissues.
Don't assume that the pain will simply go away if it temporarily improves. Dental pain can fluctuate even when the underlying problem remains.
Contact your dentist for an evaluation, particularly if the pain is accompanied by swelling, fever, a bad taste in the mouth, or sensitivity that persists.
When Is Swelling a Dental Emergency?
Swelling around a tooth or in the face can be a sign of a dental infection.
A dental abscess may require prompt treatment to address the source of the infection. Depending on the cause, treatment may involve draining an abscess, treating the tooth, performing a root canal, extracting a tooth, or prescribing medication when appropriate.
If swelling is severe or affects your ability to breathe or swallow, seek emergency medical care immediately.
A hospital emergency department can address potentially life-threatening complications such as airway obstruction. A dentist can then provide the dental treatment needed to address the underlying tooth or oral condition.
What Should You Avoid During a Dental Emergency?
It's understandable to want to fix the problem yourself, but some home remedies can make a dental emergency worse.
Avoid:
- Using household glue on a tooth or dental restoration
- Placing aspirin directly against your gums or tooth
- Trying to pull out a damaged tooth yourself
- Scrubbing an injured tooth or knocked-out tooth
- Ignoring significant pain because it temporarily improves
- Delaying care after a serious dental injury
Over-the-counter pain medication may help temporarily with discomfort when used according to the product directions and when it is safe for you to take. It should not be considered a substitute for professional dental treatment.
Why Should You Follow Up After Emergency Dental Care?
Emergency treatment often addresses the immediate problem, but additional care may still be necessary.
For example, emergency treatment may relieve pain or stabilize a damaged tooth, but the tooth may still need a permanent crown, root canal treatment, filling, extraction, or another procedure. Following your dentist's recommendations helps ensure that the underlying problem is fully addressed. Your team at Smiles Dental Center will likely also want to monitor healing after an injury or infection.
Can Dental Emergencies Be Prevented?
Not every dental emergency can be prevented, but several habits can reduce your risk.
Wear a Mouthguard During Sports
A properly fitted mouthguard can help protect your teeth from sports-related injuries.
Don't Use Your Teeth as Tools
Avoid opening packages, cutting materials, or biting objects with your teeth. These habits can cause cracks and fractures.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
Brushing twice a day, cleaning between your teeth, and maintaining regular dental appointments can help prevent cavities and gum disease that may eventually lead to dental emergencies.
Address Dental Problems Early
A small cavity, minor crack, or loose restoration can become a more significant problem if it isn't treated.
If something feels different about a tooth, don't wait until it becomes painful to have it evaluated.
When Should You Call an Emergency Dentist?
If you're experiencing significant dental pain, trauma, swelling, bleeding, or damage to a tooth or restoration, contact your dentist as soon as possible. Prompt treatment can help control discomfort and protect your oral health. In the case of a knocked-out permanent tooth, getting professional care particularly quickly is important.
If you aren't sure whether your situation is an emergency, we invite you to contact our practice to ask. Your dental team can help determine the next step.
Get Prompt Care for a Dental Emergency
Dental emergencies can be stressful, but knowing what to do can help you respond quickly and protect your smile.
Save any broken or dislodged tooth or restoration when possible, keep the area clean, avoid further trauma, and contact your dentist for guidance. After emergency care, be sure to complete any recommended follow-up treatment so the underlying problem can be fully addressed.
If you're experiencing a dental emergency, contact Smiles Dental Center as soon as possible to discuss your symptoms and schedule an emergency dental appointment.
