Why You Should Deal With a Dental Emergency Quickly

A dental emergency can be totally minor and resolve itself, or it could be serious and require intervention from a dental professional.

For example, breaking your dentures or wisdom tooth pain would not constitute dental emergencies. However, a knocked-out tooth or excessive bleeding in the mouth is definitely an urgent problem that would require an emergency dentist appointment.

When a dental emergency arises, acting fast can make all the difference, to fix the problem and make you feel better.

We will explain why you should deal with a dental emergency quickly in this article.

To learn more about dentists (private and NHS) and dental emergencies, click here to read our blog articles on:

What can be classed as a dental emergency?

A dental emergency refers to a tooth problem which requires urgent dental care or treatment, as it could lead to further medical problems if left untreated.

You should contact your dentist as soon as possible if you experience any of the following dental emergencies:

Uncontrollable dental haemorrhage following extractions
Rapidly increasing swelling around the throat or eye
Trauma confined to the dental arches
Severe dental and facial pain which does not go away with over-the-counter medications
Trauma to the face
A knocked-out tooth
Dental and soft tissue acute infection
Excruciating tooth pain
Swelling of the gums, cheek, or face
Excessive bleeding after tooth extraction which persists even after biting into gauze

You should go to your local Accident and Emergency (A&E) centre if:

The pain is severe
There is heavy bleeding
You have injuries to the face, mouth, or teeth
You have difficulty breathing

If you are unsure whether you should go to A&E, contact NHS 111 via telephone or use the 111 online services, and the trained professionals can advise you.

Why you should deal with a dental emergency quickly

A dental emergency requires immediate attention, to minimise the risk of serious medical complications and prevent long-term problems.

It is easy to overlook a dental emergency and assume that it can be resolved without the help of a dentist. However, you may need a dental treatment which can only be offered by a professional dentist.

Here are the reasons why you should deal with a dental emergency quickly:

Gain an accurate assessment of what is going on

If you experience a dental emergency, but you do not ask a dentist for help, then you may never gain a true reflection of what the issue is. Consequently, you will not know the appropriate course of action needed in order to deal with that problem safely.

A dentist will accurately diagnose what the problem is (e.g. it could be a bacterial infection in your mouth) and subsequently provide the best treatment and advice.

Stop the problem from becoming more serious

If you do not get a dental emergency sorted quickly, then this may worsen the problem and cause harmful effects on your oral health and overall health.

For example, if you have suffered a blow to the face and this has knocked out your tooth, you should visit a dentist as soon as possible and bring the tooth with you, soaked in milk, if you still have the tooth. Then, the dentist can easily stop any bleeding, install the missing tooth back in your mouth and advise you on the appropriate aftercare.

If you do not take these steps fast enough, then your missing tooth will not be saved in time, and you may experience more pain, discomfort, swelling or bleeding.

If you did not visit a dentist quickly enough after a dental emergency, then you may experience further issues such as cuts to your tongue, irritation of your gums, and damage to the mouth’s soft tissue. These are all preventable problems, as long as you get your dental emergency looked at by a dentist as soon as possible.

Save your teeth

Dealing with a dental emergency quickly will help prevent additional damage to your teeth and gums. If you ignore a dental emergency, such as a chipped tooth, then this could lead to problems such as enamel erosion and tooth loss.

You may feel that your dental emergency is not serious enough to warrant an emergency dentist appointment. However, when you eat and drink, you could be applying unnecessary pressure to that tooth, which could make matters worse.

Alleviate your pain and discomfort

Patients who experience a dental emergency often have excruciating pain in their teeth and gums, jaw and even their neck. This can be severely uncomfortable, as it may prevent you from eating, drinking, sleeping, and going about your daily life.

Severe toothache cannot always be managed by over-the-counter medications, which is why you should deal with a dental emergency quickly and receive professional help.

Reduce the risk of infection

Ignoring a dental emergency carries the risk that you will develop an infection, which can easily spread to the rest of your body. This can cause serious symptoms such as fever, increased breathing rate, stomach pain, and possibly lead to life-threatening complications.

Ease your anxiety

Some patients do not visit a dentist fast enough because they are nervous about what their dental emergency might mean for their health.

However, getting professional help from a dentist will always be the right thing to do. They will calm your nerves and offer you compassionate care, to help resolve the issue.

You may end up feeling more anxious if you ignore your tooth problem, which could be potentially serious.

Ignoring a dental emergency may be more expensive for you in the long run

If you ignore a dental emergency, then this can actually lead to permanent damage. This would require more extensive and expensive dental treatment (such as a surgical extraction or a root canal treatment).

The quicker you visit a dentist, the quicker your dental emergency will be sorted.

You can receive help for a previously undiagnosed condition

Getting a dental emergency looked at immediately is hugely beneficial for understanding if you have any underlying conditions.

For example, some patients may experience bleeding in the mouth when they brush their teeth or floss. When this is reoccurring, this could be a sign of gum disease (gingivitis).

So, a patient may need to book an emergency dentist appointment, in order to receive treatment to reduce their gum inflammation and make their mouth feel healthy again.

Emergency dental care at Didsbury Dental Practice

At Didsbury Dental Practice, our emergency dental care is second to none.

Our team of dental professionals can provide treatment for any type of dental emergency: from severe toothache and tooth infections to broken teeth, lost fillings or gum inflammation.

Didsbury Dental Practice has got you covered, at any time of day or night. Dental emergencies can be very painful, so we offer out-of-hours treatment because we know that dental problems don’t always stick to 9.00 am to 12.00 am.

To book an emergency appointment with us, it is not necessary for you to be an existing patient at our practice.

If you experience a dental emergency, simply call our dental emergency helpline on 0161 413 2509, or walk into our dental practice, and we will aim to see you as soon as possible.

Click here to learn more about the emergency dental care offered at Didsbury Dental Practice.

What does not count as a tooth emergency?

These are not urgent, so you could potentially treat the problem by yourself, or speak to your dentist for guidance.

Minor toothache
Small cavity
Dislodged crowns and bridges
Losing a filling
Broken dentures or braces
If you require surgical extractions (wisdom teeth) but are not in pain
Sensitive or bleeding gums
Mouth ulcers that have existed for less than 10 days
Chipped tooth

It is not classed as a tooth emergency if you:

Have a hospital referral letter
Require permanent restorations
Have non-traumatic problems with orthodontic appliances
Require a second opinion
Want to use emergency dentist services to have a routine check-up
Want a cosmetic dentistry service, such as teeth whitening, teeth straightening, dental bonding or veneers

We hope this article has helped you better understand why you should deal with a dental emergency quickly.

To learn more about Didsbury Dental Practice, visit our website here.

We offer a wide range of dental services and treatments, including teeth whitening, Invisalign, Alias lingual braces, Six Month Smiles Braces and Damon Clear Braces.

If you need an emergency appointment, call our dental emergency helpline on 0161 413 2835, or walk into our practice and we will aim to see you as soon as possible.

Visit our blog to read more articles on dental health.