Dental emergencies should be taken seriously and should not be ignored. Ignoring a dental emergency can lead to more advanced issues and can even cause permanent damage. The best way to prevent advanced issues further down the line is by treating any injuries to your teeth and gums as soon as possible.

Are you unsure of what merits a trip to the dentist as a dental emergency? Some dental emergencies are more obvious than others. The experienced emergency dentists at Vero Dental Spa want you to be prepared for any and all dental emergencies, so they’ve listed some common dental emergencies, and how you should handle them.

Common Dental Emergencies

There are different forms of dental emergencies. Some emergencies require immediate attention, while others should be dealt with at a different priority level. Most dental emergencies should be addressed within a day of experiencing symptoms.

• Toothaches. Toothaches are the most common, yet easily ignored dental emergencies, especially when the toothache only occurs when eating, or at certain times during the day. Toothaches tend to occur from tooth decay or infections.
• While it is commonly recommended to put aspirin directly on the tooth to try and stop toothaches, this is not sound advice. Putting aspirin directly on your tooth can damage your gum tissue.
• If you’re suffering from a toothache, you should use a warm or cold compress on the outside of your cheek to reduce pain, then schedule an appointment with Vero Dental Spa as soon as possible.
• Chipped or broken tooth. If you have chipped or broken your tooth, you should try and save any of the pieces. Next, you need to rinse your mouth with warm water, while also rinsing the broken pieces.
• If you are experiencing swelling or pain, you can use a cold compress on the outside of your mouth near the damaged area to try and soothe the swelling and relieve pain. Your next step should be getting to the dentist as soon as possible to relieve pain and ensure the tooth does not become more broken or chipped.
• Lost or knocked-out tooth. The most time sensitive dental emergency is dealing with a knocked out tooth. By taking the proper steps and staying prepared, you can preserve your smile. As soon as you realize that your tooth has fallen out, you should try and retrieve it. Delicately grab the tooth by the crown without removing any of the connective tissue or scrubbing away any dirt. If possible, try to put the tooth in a small container with a little bit of milk, or a product called “Save-a-Tooth.”
• Your next step is getting to Vero Dental Spa, so we can try to preserve the tooth. Teeth that have been knocked out have a higher chance of being saved when they have been returned to their socket by a dentist within an hour of the trauma.
• Lost or broken filling. If you’ve had a filling fall out, you should call your dentist as soon as possible to restore the filling and preserve the tooth. In some cases, the tooth might not be restorable with a filling (if the infection has spread under the filling), in which case we will need to perform an emergency root canal therapy, then preserve the remaining tooth with a dental crown.
• Lost or broken crown. One of the most common dental emergencies occurs when patients lose or break a dental crown. If your crown has fallen off, put it in a safe spot until you can get to the dentist’s office to have it reattached. The tooth under the crown will feel sensitive and might cause pain.
• Fortunately, lost crowns are easy for our emergency dentists to restore. In cases where your dental crown is broken, we can attach a temporary crown, while we fabricate a new one. The temporary crown will restore the function and stop tooth sensitivity, until we can place your permanent crown.
• Broken jaw. If you think that you have broken your jaw, you should get to your nearest emergency room. Broken or dislocated jaws require a medical specialist to promote healing and decrease complications. Fractured jaws are common in trauma injuries, like physical assault to the face, sports injuries, automobile accidents, and industrial or workplace injuries.
• Cut or bite soft tissue in the lip or tongue. Fortunately, most cuts on the lip or tongue will heal themselves. Like any cut, you should apply pressure to the area with a piece of gauze or clean towel. If you think your lip is busted and might need stitches, you should try to find an urgent care doctor to stitch the area and avoid scarring.

If you are dealing with an injury or pain to your gums or teeth, you can avoid more pain and costs in the future by visiting the dentists at Vero Dental Spa as soon as possible. Call Vero Dental Spa today.