What Constitutes a Dental Pain Emergency?
You could have tooth pain for many reasons, but a lot of tooth pain problems can wait until your next family dental appointment. However, some situations are dental emergencies. With those types of pain, you should see an emergency dentist as soon as possible. In these severe cases, prompt care could save your teeth.
Continue reading to learn more about when you see an emergency dentist for pain and when you can wait. Also, this article will present some of the most common sources of sudden or severe tooth pain.
What Pain Needs Emergency Dental Treatment?
See a dentist as soon as possible if you experience any of the following issues:
- Severe sudden pain that doesn't go away with over-the-counter remedies
- Swollen and severely bleeding gums
- Sharp pain when you bite down or touch the tooth
- Dry pocket pain after tooth extraction
- Pain accompanied by bleeding
- Pain from trauma
- Pain along with a fever
- Pain with swelling around the neck and jaw
- Pain from loose fillings and crowns
What Pain Can Wait Until You Can Get an Appointment?
When some dentists need to deal with an emergency, the appointment schedule is disrupted. Fitting in unexpected patients for emergencies affects other patients who also need treatment. So, most dentists advise people to wait unless it is absolutely necessary. Pain that you can manage with over-the-counter medications and treatments can generally wait until you can get an appointment.
What Are Some Common Dental Pain Causes?
The causes of dental pain are many, but some of the most common reasons are listed below. Be aware that many of these are preventable with proper care and teeth protection. Dental pain is often caused by:
- Tooth decay that is ignored too long
- Abscesses and infections
- Wisdom tooth eruption problems
- Restoration losses
- Trauma
What Can One Do to Diminish Dental Pain?
If your pain is not severe, you can find multiple remedies at your local pharmacy. Here are some successful ways to reduce and control tooth pain.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen
- Ice packs (these are great for swelling)
- Salt or diluted hydrogen peroxide rinses (3% hydrogen peroxide, 97% water)
- Peppermint tea
- Topical toothache gels and drops
While you wait for the dentist, take extra precautions to protect your damaged tooth or gums. Don't eat hard foods, for example. You may also want to avoid very hot and very cold foods and beverages as well.
Dental pain is not uncommon and is not always an emergency. However, if you or a family member needs an emergency dental procedure, check with a local family dentist first. Many family dentists also cover emergencies. However, the best way to prevent potential dental emergencies is to see your dentist regularly or before your teeth begin to hurt.