A dental emergency is a serious issue with your teeth or mouth that requires prompt attention. The best general dentist brooklyn new york advises that recognizing the signs of an urgent dental problem can make all the difference in preventing further damage. Some dental issues can wait, but others—such as bleeding, severe pain, or broken teeth—require urgent care. Knowing what to do can help prevent more damage.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is a problem that needs immediate care from a dentist or doctor. You may have an emergency if you:
- Have a toothache that won’t go away.
- Crack or break a tooth badly.
- Lose a tooth
- Have swelling in your face or jaw
- Hurt your lips, gums, or tongue deeply.
- Lose or break a filling, crown, or bridge.
What to Do During a Dental Emergency
Step 1: Call your dentist right away. Many offices have emergency numbers for after-hours calls.
Step 2: If you don’t have a dentist, go to an urgent care clinic or hospital emergency room, especially for serious injuries like a broken jaw.
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
Toothache:
Rinse your mouth with warm water and use floss to remove food stuck between teeth. If swollen, use a cold compress on your face. Take pain medicine like ibuprofen—but don’t put aspirin directly on your gums.
Cracked Tooth:
Rinse your mouth and save any broken pieces. If there’s bleeding, press gauze on the area for 10 minutes. Use a cold compress and visit your dentist soon.
Knocked-Out Tooth:
Hold the tooth by the top (crown), rinse it gently, and try to place it back in the socket. If you can’t, put it in milk or salt water. Go to your dentist immediately—within an hour gives you the best chance to save it.
Partially Dislodged Tooth:
Use a cold compress for pain and take over-the-counter painkillers. See your dentist right away.
Abscess (Swollen Gum or Face):
This is a serious infection. Rinse with warm salt water and see a dentist as soon as possible. Left untreated, it can spread and cause bigger health problems.
Lost Filling or Crown:
Use sugar-free gum or dental cement to cover the hole until you see your dentist. Bring the broken crown or bridge with you. You can use dental cement or denture adhesive to temporarily put it back—but never use super glue!
Bleeding Mouth or Lips:
Rinse with salt water. Press gauze or a wet tea bag on the area for 15–20 minutes. A cold compress helps with pain and swelling. If bleeding doesn’t stop, go to the ER.
Not Sure If It’s an Emergency?
Problems like mild toothaches, small chips, broken braces, or something stuck between your teeth usually aren’t emergencies. But if the pain or bleeding is severe, get help fast.
When to Go to the ER
If your dentist is closed and you’re in a lot of pain or have swelling, go to the ER. They can give you medicine to help until you can see your dentist.