Is tooth decay an emergency

Life throws curveballs at you all the time. And sometimes, those curveballs may come in the form of dental care emergencies. Some may require immediate dental care, while some may require a few deep breaths and patience. If it is an emergency, it’s good to know whether you should see your dentist or visit your local emergency room. Determining your symptoms and the severity of your conditions will help you decide which path is best for you.

What Is A Dental Emergency?

A dental checkup consists of routine cleaning, X-rays, and consultation every six months. A dental emergency is anything but routine. With dental emergencies, usually obvious and immediate action is necessary to address severe pain, discomfort, or trauma to the mouth that may cause bleeding and lacerations to the gums and dislodge or fracture teeth. Some instances, like lost fillings, chipped veneers, or broken dental appliances, while extremely inconvenient — don’t constitute an emergency. 

What Are Some Dental Emergency Symptoms and Quick Treatments?

Below is a list of common dental emergencies and what you should do, including when to contact your dentist.

• Cracked or Broken Tooth: If your tooth is broken:
  • Use warm water to rinse out your mouth 
  • Apply a cold compress for swelling
• Knocked-Out Teeth: If you have a knocked-out tooth:
  • Don’t touch the root, only the crown
  • Try to place it back in the socket, if possible
  • Or place it between your cheek and gum or a container of milk
  • Use a cold, wet compress for bleeding
• Tooth, Teeth, or Jaw Pain: Your pain could be associated with:
  • Swelling, fever, a sour taste, or difficulty swallowing indicating an infection
  • An abscessed tooth with pain coming from your tooth’s pulp canal that could require antibiotics, drainage, or root canal
• Bleeding or Aching Gums: Excessive and frequent bleeding along with aching gums is an indicator of periodontal disease that requires:
  • Treatment to keep gums, teeth, tissue, and bones healthy
  • Treatment will vary based on the severity
• Soft Tissue Injury: If you have severe bites or cuts to your lip or tongue:
  • Clean the area gently with water 
  • Apply a cold compress for bleeding 
  • See a medical professional for severe bites or cuts that require stitches

If you are experiencing some of the dental emergency symptoms listed above, contact your dentist’s office immediately. If you get their voicemail, they’ll likely provide an emergency phone number or instructions. Leave a message and explain your symptoms in detail. Usually, emergencies get treated as quickly as possible. If pain and discomfort persist and you need to see a medical professional, visit your closest emergency room so they can treat your pain and discomfort, and determine if a dental visit is necessary.

Hopefully, you never have to experience a dental emergency. But if properly informed and prepared — you should recover quickly and emerge healthily.

You have probably experienced some level of dental pain at some point in your life. It can range from momentary, minor pain to continuous, severe pain. Fairly mild sensitivity or discomfort may indicate a cavity but is not a sign of a more serious dental emergency. Continuous pain due to a cavity is a sign that you should visit your dentist sooner rather than later. While a small cavity is not a dental emergency, it can get worse if you do not seek treatment and become one in the future.

To understand the severity of a cavity better, it is a good idea to have an understanding of what it is and what causes them.

What is a cavity?

A cavity, also known as tooth decay, is when the enamel on the tooth is permanently damaged. It starts off as a weaker area on the surface of the tooth but if left untreated, it eventually wears through to the center of the tooth, which is when it becomes painful.

How do you know if you have a cavity?

The best way of knowing if you have a cavity is to have regular checkups with your normal dentist. Measures, such as having a filling, can be taken to stop it from becoming a bigger issue. However, other signs of having a cavity include:

• Toothache and pain for no apparent reason
• Sensitive teeth, especially when eating or drinking things that are hot, cold, or sweet
• Pain that can be described as mild to sharp when eating and/or drinking
• Pain when biting down and putting pressure on the tooth
• Black, brown, or white staining on the surface of the teeth
• Visible pitting or holes on the tooth

How can you prevent cavities?

Generally, you should make an appointment with your dentist every six months for checkups and preventive treatment. People who are more affected by tooth decay may need to visit more often. Brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day is the most important thing that you can do for your teeth to prevent cavities. The vast majority of cavities and other dental problems can be prevented with good oral hygiene practices and regular checkups. Leaving them to get worse can cause periodontal disease, weakened teeth and end up causing something that eventually becomes a dental emergency.

What happens if a cavity is left untreated?

Without treatment, the holes in the enamel can get bigger and more complex. Not only could this result in serious toothache, but it can lead to infection of the dental pulp, an abscess or infected tooth, or even the loss of the tooth. These situations are deemed to be dental emergencies. If the pain is severe, you have extreme swelling, fever, or pus or fluid leaks from around the painful area, then you should pursue emergency treatment as soon as possible. Not only will an emergency dentist provide pain treatment but you will also be given choices to correct the root issue, whether through filling, root canal therapy, or teeth extraction.

How can you ease the pain before you get to see a dentist?

In the short-term, over the counter pain killers such as paracetamol and analgesic tooth gel can help to relieve severe pain until you get to a dentist. However, in the long-term, all it does is mask the underlying cause so it is never resolved. It should never be used as a replacement for dental treatment.

Trying to manage the pain yourself for longer than a few days can lead to complications such as abscesses,  which can cause significant damage to the teeth, gum, and surrounding bones. Treatment of the root canal is necessary to fix an abscess, followed by dental crowns or fillings, otherwise, the tooth may be lost completely. If you need a root canal or tooth extraction, you may end up spending a lot of money to treat the cavity immediately – and it is a lot more painful.

Even if the pain dissipates, it is important to contact to the dentist as soon as possible. Just because the pain has eased does not mean that the problem has gone away – in fact, it can be an even bigger sign that the cavity is turning into a dental emergency as a lack of pain can indicate that the nerves have been seriously damaged or they are dead. A dead nerve can encourage bacteria, which leads to further issues.

Generally, a cavity is not an emergency in that you need to search for ‘a dentist near me emergency’ unless it is causing unbearable pain. However, it does need looking at pretty urgently before it does become a bigger problem.

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