As anyone who’s suffered will attest, during a dental emergency, time is of the essence. This is because dental emergencies bring with them not only serious pain but also serious risks to dental and overall health.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
Not all oral pain and dental issues qualify as “emergencies.” There are, however, certain symptoms for which an immediate trip to an emergency dentist is in order.
- Severe toothache
- Swelling of the gums or jaw
- Bleeding from the mouth or gums
- Loose tooth/teeth in adults
- Loss of a tooth, either due to direct impact or decay
- Broken crown
Types of Dental Emergencies – and What Do To About Them
- Severe toothache – Pain is your body telling you that something’s wrong. And while not every toothache requires emergency care, when pain is sudden, severe, persistent, and resistant to home remedies and over-the-counter pain medication, seek out an emergency dentist.
- Swelling of the jaw/ Swollen or bleeding gums – if the jawbone or gums begin to swell, or a patient begins bleeding from the gums or mouth for no apparent reason, it’s an emergency. These could be signs of infection or a dental abscess resulting in losing the infected tooth.
- Tooth loss – Tooth loss as an adult is not normal. Whether due to impact or untreated decay, the loss of a tooth calls for immediate action. Fortunately, knowing what to do and doing it ASAP could save the tooth. If an adult loses a tooth, pick up the tooth without touching the root and rinse it without scrubbing. If you are unable to replace it in its socket in the gum, place the tooth in a container of milk or water and get to a dentist as quickly as possible.
Emergency Dental Services in Middletown, NJ
Suppose you’re in the Middletown, NJ area and think you might need an emergency dentist or want to be prepared just in case you need one. In that case, dentist Dr. Pradeep Sukumar and his team at Middletown Dental are here to provide quick, high-quality care when you need it most.