Is My Dental Problem an Emergency?

Even common dental problems, like a cavity, can be painful and make you miserable. But is a cavity a dental emergency? What about a chipped tooth or bleeding gums?

Dr. Benedict Kim and his team at A Caring Dental Group are available to treat mouth and dental injuries in the case of an emergency. How do you know whether it’s an emergency? Here’s what you should know about the dental problems that require immediate attention.

What constitutes a dental emergency?

At A Caring Dental Group, we know that dental emergencies happen, and we set aside hours each day for patients with sudden and painful problems affecting your mouth and teeth. Here are some dental issues that demand our emergency attention.

Uncontrollable bleeding

If your mouth starts bleeding uncontrollably, you need immediate treatment. Ask someone to drive you to our office — don’t drive yourself. If this occurs outside of our office hours, go to the nearest emergency room. 

Knocked-out or broken tooth

If you’ve caught a ball with your teeth, and one or more teeth are knocked loose or fractured, you’ve got yourself a dental emergency.

If you can push a knocked-out tooth back into the socket without touching the root, give it a go. Close your jaw, biting gently on a piece of gauze or clean cloth to keep the tooth in place. Apply a cold compress to reduce the swelling, and come to our office or go to an emergency room — preferably within 30 minutes.

If you can’t put the tooth back in place, prevent it from drying out by soaking it in milk or holding it between your gum and cheek.

If you have a broken tooth, rinse your mouth using warm water to clear away any food or debris, and then apply a cold compress on your cheek to reduce the swelling. Call us to schedule an emergency appointment.

A loosened tooth

You never want your adult teeth to become loose. If a tooth has loosened — which might be due to infection or injury — see Dr. Kim as soon as possible so he can use his expertise to save it.

Severe jaw or tooth pain

Call us right away if you suffer severe tooth or jaw pain. Severe pain can indicate an abscess, an infection that requires an antibiotic. 

A missing crown

If you lose a crown, come in see us within a day or two. Until you do, use some over-the-counter dental cement to keep the crown in place temporarily.

Non-emergency dental problems

Now that you know which dental problems need attention right away, here are some issues that should prompt you to schedule an appointment soon.

• Veneer or cap that falls out
• A loose or missing filling
• A broken dental appliance
• A suspected cavity
• Minor dental pain that’s relieved by over-the-counter pain medication

It’s never a good idea to delay needed dental care. To make an appointment with A Caring Dental Group, you can use our online booking tool. In an emergency, call our office at 216-230-9094.