When most patients hear the words “dental emergency,” they can’t help but shudder. After all, the idea of a dental emergency touches on the cringe worthy idea that something terrible has happened to our oral health. Whether cracking a tooth when eating or chipping a tooth during a pickup game of basketball, patients can imagine all types of unpleasant scenarios that would constitute a “dental emergency.”
Fortunately, much of the concern patients have over their long-term oral health due to a dental emergency is largely misplaced. Our experienced team at Glow Comprehensive Dentistry offers patients the treatments needed to quickly restore their smiles back to health. At our Happy Canyon dental office, Drs. Ryan and Skinner specialize in providing patients with the prompt, courteous, and compassionate care when they need it most.
Not every toothache or twinge of discomfort ranks as a dental emergency. Knowing when you need to see an emergency dentist and when you can schedule a regular dental appointment can save you a lot of money, time, and stress. However, patients don’t want to ignore dental pain in hopes that it will eventually go away. Delaying needed dental care can cause further problems to develop down the line.
So you can differentiate between a need to see a dentist and a dental emergency, let’s take a look at a few signs that let you know when emergency dental care is required.
Loose Tooth
Once our teeth fully develop, they should never move, wiggle, or feel loose in the mouth. Teeth that feel loose could be a sign of a variety of oral health problems. Most obviously, it could signal that you’ve experienced an oral injury. If you notice a tooth feeling loose after experiencing any kind of facial trauma, such as during an accident or while playing sports, you need to receive immediate dental care. Even if your teeth appear normal, but feel loose, a dentist should examine your teeth for signs of nerve damage.
Early treatment can keep a loose tooth from falling out and prevent any further nerve damage from occurring.
Severe Toothache
The severity of a toothache can also act as a sign that you need to receive dental care. If you have a minor toothache, try taking a few aspirin to deal with the pain. If your toothache is more severe, you need to receive emergency dental care. Treatment will depend on the cause of your toothache, so a complete examination is needed before our doctors can provide any kind of sustained relief.
A severe toothache could be a symptom of a number of oral problems that range from a broken or cracked tooth to a loose filling or root infection. As with any dental emergency, the quicker you receive care the more successful treatment will be at repairing and preventing any further damage.
Swollen Jaw
When an oral infection takes root, a swollen jaw is a common symptom that can indicate the presence of a more serious problem. When a swollen jaw occurs at the same time a patient experiences a bad taste in the mouth, fever, difficult swallowing or breathing you should seek out immediate emergency dental care.
A salivary gland infection results from a bacterial infection that causes a blockage in the salivary glands. This type of blockage can prevent your body from producing enough saliva, while also causing swelling and discomfort. While this type of infection is uncommon, you’ll need to have Drs. Ryan and Skinner examine you at our Happy Canyon dental office rather than leaving the problem untreated.
Dental Abscess
An abscessed tooth can cause serious discomfort, and should make if obvious that you need to receive emergency medical care. The fact that an abscess infection can spread to other parts of the body make this particular dental emergency one you cannot take lightly. While extremely unlikely, it’s possible for the infection that causes the development of an abscess to travel to the brain where it can become fatal. Symptoms of an abscess include fever, swelling along the gum line, a persistent foul taste in the mouth, pus to swollen glands.
Don’t risk your health by avoiding the emergency dental care this type of problem requires. Contact our Happy Canyon dental office today if you experience any of the issue listed above.