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Dental emergencies can happen at any time to anyone. Accidents and injuries can happen at any time, and dental emergencies are quite common. Any dental pain that does not go away after a day or two should be looked at by a dentist. Here are a few common dental emergencies:

Toothache

A toothache can make you miserable, especially when you can’t make it go away, by calling in sick to work or canceling weekend plans. While it may be tempting to use leftover pain medications to treat your discomfort, we don’t recommend it. Sure, the pills may temporarily relieve your pain, but they will do nothing to address the underlying issue — which is typically a cavity! Instead, it’s important to call your dentist right away and make an appointment. In the meantime, you may rinse your mouth with salt water to reduce pain and swelling. Rinsing can help you feel more comfortable until you can see us. 

Jaw Pain

Jaw pain is a relatively common dental emergency that requires prompt treatment for a more comfortable smile. In many cases, jaw problems are caused by teeth grinding and jaw clenching at night. This puts excessive pressure on the temporomandibular joints (TMJ), which connect the lower jaw to the skull. Symptoms of TMJ disorder can include clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint when opening the mouth; swelling on the side of the face near the jaw joint; headaches; and pain in the face or neck. Treatments for TMJ disorders include a night guard that can be worn while sleeping to prevent nighttime teeth grinding. 

Abscessed Tooth

An abscess is a bacterial infection that has spread to the soft tissues of a tooth. It can lead to pain and swelling, and if left untreated, it can even lead to tooth loss.

Treatment for an abscessed tooth will largely depend on how severe your case is. If you’ve experienced severe pain for several days, your dentist will likely prescribe antibiotics to fight the infection. You may need multiple courses of antibiotics to completely treat the infection, depending on the severity of the case. Your dentist may also need to drain the abscess by drilling a small hole in the infected tooth to relieve the pressure and pain caused by the infection. If the abscess isn’t treated promptly, it may spread to your jaw and even become life-threatening. 

Broken Teeth

A broken tooth is one of the most common reasons for an emergency visit. If your tooth is fractured, try to locate the missing piece and place it in a cup of milk or saliva to keep it moist until you’re able to get treatment. If the entire tooth is broken off, rinse your mouth out with warm water and apply a cold compress to any facial swelling. You should then call your dentist and schedule an appointment as soon as possible. 

Lost Fillings

A lost filling can be painful and requires immediate treatment from your dentist. The tooth is more prone to decay, so make sure that you schedule a replacement as soon as you can. In some cases, the hole that is left from the missing filling can be filled using a composite resin material. However, this requires bonding and may not be as durable as a replacement metal or porcelain filling.

Traumatic Injuries

A traumatic injury is a severe injury to the mouth caused by an external force, such as falling and hitting your mouth on a hard surface like the sidewalk or pavement. These injuries can cause broken or knocked-out teeth as well as bleeding of the gums or the lip. If you have sustained a traumatic injury to your jaw, call your dentist immediately or go to the emergency room so that they can examine you and apply any necessary treatments.

To learn more about our dental services at Cory L. Crouse, DMD LLC, call 808-487-3033 or schedule an online consultation. You can also visit us at 99-128 Aiea Heights #603, Aiea, HI 96701.