Dental Emergencies

cracked tooth illustrationExperiencing a dental emergency is something we would all like to avoid—but sometimes it just happens! This section will help you understand what is or isn’t a true dental emergency and what to do about it.

Dental Emergencies

Any dental problem that requires immediate treatment in order to save a tooth, stop ongoing bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or treat an infection is considered a dental emergency.

Infections and abscesses in the mouth can be life-threatening and need to be addressed immediately.

If you experience any of the following, please call our office immediately:

  • Unexplained ongoing bleeding from the mouth
  • Severe pain in the mouth or jaw or a severe toothache
  • Tooth out of the socket or loose tooth due to trauma
  • Trauma to your mouth or teeth due to a hit or fall
  • Swelling in your gum, jaw, mouth or facial area
  • A broken tooth with pain

What to Do Until You Can Be Seen for an Emergency

Non-Emergencies

The following are not considered dental emergencies; however, we still want you to call our office as soon as possible for an appointment or work-in as needed.

Click on the links below to see what to do until you can be seen for a non-emergency dental issue.

Avoiding Dental Emergencies

So many dental emergencies can be avoided by scheduling and keeping routine cleanings and exams with our office!

If you haven’t seen us (or another dental office) in a while, please call to schedule an appointment for a complete exam, cleaning, and evaluation.

Not all dental emergencies can be avoided, but there are things you can do to help prevent one.

Please remember to:

  • Wear a mouth guard during sports activities to protect your teeth from physical trauma.
  • Wear your night guard if you’ve been prescribed one to protect from clenching and grinding.
  • Never chew on ice or hard substances (hard food, hard candy, frozen candy bars, hard apples, popcorn kernels) because they can crack or break your teeth.
  • Never use your teeth as tools for tearing open packages, opening bottles, or for holding objects. (We’ve seen beautiful cosmetic work destroyed by using teeth to open bottles and frozen food packages!)
  • Keep your scheduled dental appointments!

In any event, remain calm and call our office. We’re here to help!