Having an unexplained toothache in Oshawa or other dental pain can be an unpleasant and deeply worrying experience, but some problems need more urgent care than others. Those that can be considered a dental emergency include experiencing severe and sudden pain, especially when there is a risk of infection or when the problem could worsen without immediate dental care.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency in Whitby is any situation where your teeth, oral tissues or jaws need urgent professional dental care. Dental emergencies can arise for a variety of reasons, including:
- Biting down on hard objects
- Using your teeth as tools
- Taking a blow to the mouth or jaws during sports
- Trauma to the mouth because of a vehicle accident or another collision
- Complications following a dental procedure
- Sudden pain or bleeding
- Signs of infection or other worrying symptoms
While it might be tempting to see if the situation improves, leaving a dental emergency untreated could worsen the problem. If you have a dental emergency or are ever concerned about your dental health and experiencing worrying symptoms, please get in touch with us immediately. We are here to help you. Our friendly dental team can listen to your concerns, provide useful advice immediately over the phone, and schedule an emergency dental appointment in Ajax when needed.
We always aim to see anyone in pain or discomfort as soon as possible, preferably on the same day. We also know that dental emergencies tend to happen at inconvenient times, so our regular patients can always contact us by phone or email outside of hours as there is always a dentist on call to assist them.
Two of the most common dental emergencies are having a loose or knocked out tooth, having a tooth that has become chipped or cracked, or having a severe toothache.
What to Do If You Loosen or Knock out a Tooth
If you are unlucky to knock out a tooth, don’t panic but retrieve the tooth as soon as you can, making sure you don’t touch the tooth roots. If necessary, rinse off any visible dirt but don’t scrub the tooth root. You can try to reinsert the tooth back into the socket using a clean finger or biting down gently on a piece of gauze to hold it in position. Otherwise, place the tooth in a little milk or saliva to help keep it moist or inside your cheek and come and see us immediately. Sometimes we can successfully save a tooth that has been knocked out, but the chances are much better if you come and see us straightaway, preferably within half an hour to an hour after the accident.
What to Do If You Chip or Crack a Tooth?
Depending on the damage, a chipped or cracked tooth isn’t always an emergency, but it is still best to see a dentist as soon as possible. If the crack or chip is severe, it can expose the tooth’s inner part, called the dental pulp, which can become infected. Prompt treatment will hopefully restore the tooth and prevent this from occurring.
Severe Toothache
A severe toothache can be a sign of a dental infection, and prompt treatment could help save the tooth; otherwise, it might need removing to clear up the infection. If the tooth is very painful, or the gum around it is swollen and red, you should see an emergency dentist quickly. If you begin to develop a fever or chills, feel very unwell, or have facial swelling, seek emergency medical care immediately. A severely infected tooth can potentially become life-threatening.