Dental emergencies can strike without warning. And when they do, urgent dental care can mean the difference between keeping a tooth and losing it to damage or an infection. But your oral health is much more than just your teeth. Your gums are also essential to your oral health, as is your jawbone and the ligaments that hold your teeth in place.
If you are unsure of what constitutes an emergency, the following are some of the most common reasons to book an emergency dental appointment.
1. Large Dental Abscess
A dental abscess can occur at the root of a tooth or under your gums. In both cases, the cause is oral bacteria. Oral bacteria invade openings in teeth and gums, and then a battle between your white cells and the bacterial organisms ensues. Unfortunately, because of the lack of space, a dental abscess, which is full of dead white cells and bacteria, soon forms.
If an abscess is so large that it causes severe pain and pressure, the infection is likely spreading out of control. You could lose the tooth if you don't seek emergency dental treatment.
2. Severe Swelling
You can leave a dental abscess to improve on its own and take Tylenol to reduce the swelling. But if the swelling is so severe that it affects how you breathe, eat, and speak, then you should seek emergency dental treatment. Facial swelling can block off your airways and cause the infection to spread to other parts of your body if left unchecked.
3. Severe Pain
Severe pain is bad sign. A high level of pain could mean that the nerve in your tooth is dying. In this case, you need a root canal to remove the dead tissue before a dental abscess can form. But severe dental pain could also mean that an infection has spread to your jawbone.
4. Broken Tooth
When you break a tooth, you open the way for bacteria to invade that tooth. A small chip or crack isn't a dental emergency. But if your tooth is badly broken, bacteria will infiltrate it soon and cause a dental infection.
5. Dislodged Tooth
A dislodged tooth is a dental emergency because a tooth can only survive out of its socket for about an hour, and sometimes much less if it is damaged. An emergency dentist can replace your tooth before it dies and leaves you with a gap in your smile.
If you are suffering with one of the above issues, get to an emergency dentist at a clinic like Morningside 621 Dental Surgery as quickly as you can.
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