In this article, we discuss the most common signs that your tooth pain needs immediate dental care and available emergency dental services.
Signs Your Tooth Pain Needs Immediate Dental Care
An acute toothache often indicates a tooth infection. Once the tooth becomes severely infected, it can not heal on its own. If you postpone your dental appointment, the infection is likely to worsen, spread to the surrounding soft tissue, jawbone, and teeth, or lead to a dental abscess. That is why it is necessary to make an emergency or same-day appointment as soon as you start experiencing these symptoms. If the infection is treated in time, the tooth can be saved and its function restored. Otherwise, an untreated infection can lead to tooth extraction.
Apart from pain, other symptoms that indicate you require immediate dental care include:
- Swelling in the gum surrounding the painful tooth
- Swelling in the face or jaw
- Difficulty opening your mouth
- Changes in the color of the tooth (may become gray, black, or brown)
- Fever in combination with toothache and other symptoms
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck
Signs That You Need to Go to an ER
In most cases of tooth infection, it is recommended to go to an emergency dental office, as specialists there have the necessary equipment to treat your tooth. ERs do not provide dental services, but they can prescribe antibiotics or drain an abscess. However, the following symptoms indicate that you need to go to an ER first to receive emergency care and follow up with a dental appointment later:
- Severe swelling in the face, especially when it spreads upward toward the eyes
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty breathing
What to Do While You Wait for a Dental Appointment
While you are waiting to be admitted to the dental office, we recommend the following:
- Avoid chewing food on the painful side of the mouth.
- Keep your mouth clean and use saltwater rinses 3 to 4 times a day.
- Take over-the-counter painkillers when necessary, but never exceed the recommended dose.
- Use cold compresses to reduce swelling by applying one to the outer side of your cheek for 15 minutes several times a day.
How Immediate Dental Care Can Save the Aching Tooth
As we mentioned earlier, an infected tooth can be saved if the care is provided in time. The most common procedure for treating a severely infected tooth is root canal therapy. During this procedure, your dentist will access the inner chamber of the tooth through the crown to remove the infected pulp and clean the canals. Then, the tooth is filled with special biocompatible material and sealed. Often, a dental crown is placed after root canal therapy to reinforce the tooth, restore its chewing function, and prevent future damage.
In cases when the infection significantly weakens the tooth’s structure, your dentist may opt for extracting the tooth, as the root canal is likely to be ineffective. Then, the tooth can be replaced with a dental bridge or an implant.
Make an Emergency Appointment at Perfect Smile Garden Grove
If you experience an acute toothache, swelling, or sustained oral trauma, do not hesitate to contact our dental clinic, and we will do our best to admit you as soon as possible. At our office, we offer a wide range of emergency services to help preserve your oral health. We are looking forward to your visit.
