5 Circumstances when you Need Emergency Dental Care

An emergency dentist is not a person most of us look forward to contacting. Nevertheless, when we find ourselves in need of their services, it’s a good thing that we have them available. While there exists a whole spectrum of dental disease which warrants urgent attention, it’s only a few common symptoms which represent the majority of cases.

If you’re displaying any of the following, it’s time to pick up the phone.

You have a loose tooth

If your tooth are starting to wobble, then you might have injured them in a collision. Your dentist will want to check for damage to the underlying bones and nerves. Act quickly, or the pain is only going to get worse. Infections can also loosen teeth – and if you don’t get it treated, it will spread.

Your gums are bleeding and aching

Bleeding gums is a warning sign for gingivitis or gum disease. You should be brushing and flossing regularly to limit this likelihood. If you’re noticing swelling, then it’s time to get it treated, since, again, early intervention can halt the disease before it has a chance to inflict lasting damage.

Your mouth tastes like metal

This is a symptom to look out for if you’ve already had a filling. If the filling becomes damaged, then the taste of the metal will start to spread through your mouth. This means that the tooth in question is exposed, and therefore vulnerable to infection.

You’ve got a dental abscess

When a cavity goes untreated, the result can be an abscess at the root of the tooth. But the same symptom might equally be produced by an injury, or by gum disease. You might notice a disgusting taste in your mouth, your glands might swell, or you might start to experience a fever. To treat an abscess, surgery is often required. Again, it’s important to act as quickly as possible to limit the damage.

Your toothache is severe

Toothache comes on a sliding scale. Where it’s minor, it can often be treated at home via over-the-counter medication, proper brushing regimen, and a few simple lifestyle changes. Over time, however, a minor toothache can lead to one that’s not so minor. If the pain is getting progressively worse, and doesn’t go away after you’ve bitten into something cold – then it’s time to act.

In rare cases, your emergency dentist might not provide a treatment of the standard required. This is where claims of dental negligence should be filed – both to compensate you for the emotional distress, and for any loss of income you’ve suffered as a result. As you might expect, you can limit this likelihood by doing your research ahead of time, and determining which local dentists are reputable and which aren’t.