A dental emergency is any of the following dental problems:
- Ongoing bleeding in the mouth
- Severe tooth pain
- Damage or loss of a tooth due to an impact or injury
Dental emergencies often include mishaps that damage the teeth, face, and mouth in some way. This may include you falling and chipping or breaking a tooth in the process. You might also experience tooth loss and a bleeding mouth.
However, your problem could also be unrelated to an accident. You might have an extreme toothache, which could be a sign of infection. Often, you’ll see a swollen jaw or face accompany this type of dental issue. You’ll want to see an emergency dentist for these and other like dental problems, even if it’s after hours. It can mean the difference between saving the tooth or not.
Speaking of Salvaging The Tooth
Salvage the tooth by rinsing the tooth off. If you can, put the tooth back in its socket to prevent it from drying out. If you can’t, use a clean cloth that you’ve rinsed in saliva or milk to pack the tooth away. Try not to touch the root if the tooth has fallen out.
A warm rinse and an ice pack will alleviate some of the issues when you fracture a tooth. Be careful about biting on it. Don’t take aspirin for the pain – it may thin the blood. Rather, choose ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the pain.
If you’re experiencing a dental problem after hours, don’t let that stop you from calling an emergency dentist. Many dentists offer after-hours dental emergency care. You usually just need to leave a message with their answering service.
At 525 Dental, we offer both regular and emergency dental appointments in London Ontario. Call us when you have a dental emergency. We’ll make sure you get in to see an emergency dentist right away.