Do You Need Emergency Dental Care, Or Can It Wait?

Sometimes, accidents and emergencies happen, and it can be difficult to always know the right thing to do in those situations. For many health emergencies, it’s fairly easy to determine when immediate care is needed, however, for a dental emergency, you might not know if you should seek a general dentist or something more immediate. Here are a few common dental emergencies that typically require faster care, so that you’re prepared should an accident happen.

Knocked-Out Teeth

If you’ve had a tooth knocked out, schedule an emergency dental care appointment with your dentist right away. The sooner you’re able to get in to see your local dentist, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to save the tooth. In the meantime, only handle the tooth by the crown and not by the roots, and place the tooth in a small container of milk to help preserve it. If you do lose the tooth, you’ll need a replacement. Up to fifteen million people in the U.S. have crown and bridge replacements for missing teeth.

Chipped, Cracked, Or Broken Teeth

If the chip in your tooth is relatively minor and is not causing any pain, it likely isn’t a dental emergency. Just make sure that you are careful to not worsen the chip in the time between now and your next general dentistry appointment. However, if the cracked or broken tooth is causing pain or discomfort, you’ll want to schedule an emergency trip to your dentist. In the meantime, over-the-counter pain relievers might be able to help manage the pain of a fractured tooth. Your dentist will need to perform an x-ray to determine the severity of the damage and if the tooth can be saved or if the tissue itself has been damaged.

What Isn’t An Emergency

Typically, a minor chip in a tooth doesn’t quite count as a dental emergency. Likewise, if you’re having a problem with a previous dental implant, such as a crown, it likely will be able to wait until your next scheduled dental check-up. Remember this advice, and you might be able to save yourself an extra trip to the dentist and plenty of stress in the future.