Signs You Are Having a Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, but they usually involve pain in your teeth or mouth. If you’re experiencing unusual pain, call your dentist right away. Ignoring a dental emergency can cause irreversible damage, so never assume that you can wait it out or wait until your next dentist appointment.

Northern Beaches Dental offers emergency dental services in Frenchs Forest. In this blog post, we’re going to break down the most prevalent dental emergencies we see and signs to look out for.

Common dental emergencies are toothaches, abscesses, a chipped or broken tooth, wisdom teeth problems, and a lost filling or crown.

Toothache

A sudden and inexplicable toothache is often a sign of tooth decay. Many toothaches don’t require emergency dentistry and instead need long-term care and maintenance. However, if your toothache is accompanied by swelling, it needs urgent attention from a dental professional. While you wait for treatment, don’t take painkillers as they can damage the swollen gum tissue. Instead, use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek.

Abscesses

An abscess is caused by an infection in your mouth, usually near the root of your tooth. If you notice a painful, swollen spot on your gums, call our dental clinic in Frenchs Forest immediately. An untreated infection can spread throughout your entire mouth and cause lasting damage.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

Chipping or breaking a tooth is scary and often painful. The good news is that your dentist can save your smile. After you call your dentist for emergency care, rinse your mouth with warm water to help reduce pain. If your tooth is severely broken, you can use gauze to stop the bleeding.

Wisdom Teeth Surgery Complications

Wisdom tooth removal is a standard and planned procedure, and rarely an emergency itself. However, if after you have your wisdom teeth removed, you notice extreme pain or excessive bleeding, you should call your dentist to ensure everything is okay. You may just need an extra stitch to stop the bleeding. In a worse-case scenario, you may have an infection, which needs immediate treatment.

Lost Filling or Crown

Fillings and crowns are used to replace or restore damaged teeth. If one falls out, it puts your tooth at high risk for damage or infection. You will likely notice a missing crown, but a filling is harder to spot. Typically, a missing filling will mimic a toothache like a cavity.

What to Do If You Have a Dental Emergency

If you think you are experiencing any of the dental emergencies listed above, or you feel an abnormal pain in your teeth or gums, call your dentist in Frenchs Forest for help. Northern Beaches Dental is a proud provider of emergency dental care in Sydney. We have a long history of helping patients with broken teeth, chipped teeth, toothaches, abscesses, crowns, fillings, and more.

For emergencies, call us on 02 9190 6925. To schedule a routine appointment, call the same number or chat with us online.