You should know the difference between a standard dentist appointment and an emergency to help you decide when to call about specific dental situations. A prompt dental emergency appointment will help protect your mouth and heal problems quickly.

Many dentists have on-call staff available for dental emergencies. Learn about four serious reasons to call an emergency dentist and go in immediately as opposed to making an appointment in the future.

1. Tooth Falls Out

When a tooth falls out, you still have time to save the tooth and root it back in place before the tooth dies. No matter what time the tooth falls out, you want to call the dentist for treatment. If possible, stick the tooth back into the gum and hold it in place to help keep the roots alive.

If you cannot place the tooth back into your mouth, place the tooth in some milk until you arrive at the dentist. The milk will help keep the tooth alive. If you wait too long to fix your tooth, the tooth may not set back into the mouth.

Once you contact the dentist, you will receive further instructions on what to do with the tooth until you arrive at the dentist.

2. Crowns or Fillings Fall Out

A tooth is not the only piece in your mouth that could fall out. If you’ve had any crowns or fillings over the years, the metals could become loose and fall out of their fittings completely. While you do not need to save the crown or filling as you would a tooth, you should visit a dentist as soon as possible. The exposed part of the tooth could include sensitive nerves and cause extreme pain in your mouth.

Until you are brought in for an appointment, avoid any food or drinks which could cause more damage to the mouth. For example, cold ice water could make contact with exposed nerves underneath the filling or crown and cause extreme pain.

A dentist may recommend pain relievers until you reach the office. Once you arrive, a dentist will replace the filling or crown. If the previous version was metal, a dentist may choose a more durable composite replacement. The replacement would match the color of your teeth and fit more naturally.

3. Cracked Teeth

Even though a cracked tooth may not seem as bad as a tooth falling out, many more dangers occur with cracked teeth. For example, the crack could expand into the root of the tooth and cause bacteria to spread there. Your gums may swell and cause extreme pain in the mouth.

If left untreated, the cracked tooth presents a risk for gum infection. In some cases, a dentist may perform an emergency root canal to help repair the cracked tooth and prevent infection. Depending on the severity of the crack, a dentist may need to pull the whole tooth from the mouth.

Once the gums heal after a cracked tooth is pulled, consider replacements like a dental implant to fill the gap.

4. Mouth Trauma

A hard impact on your mouth could cause major mouth trauma for your teeth and gums. For severe bleeding, you may need to go to an emergency room first. From there, you would make an emergency dental appointment.

For example, a hard impact could cause tooth intrusion. Intrusion occurs when the teeth are pushed down into the jawbone and gums past the point teeth are supposed to go. The damage could result in the loss of teeth and necessitate replacement teeth. Dentists would perform full mouth x-rays to check for unseen problems and move forward with proper treatment for the mouth.

Treatment options would include implants, dental bridges, or dentures.

For more information on dental appointments, contact us at Accent Dental. We will help you with any emergency dental needs as well as general appointments and cosmetic surgery.