Common Dental Emergencies: Symptoms and Treatment Options

If you’re like many Canadians, you’ll likely experience a dental emergency at some point in your lifetime. Dental emergencies require prompt dental care to quickly treat an issue and avoid further complications. They can be painful and, when ignored, can cause significant damage to a patient’s teeth, gums, jaw, and overall health. While there are …

A Girl Checking Up a Tooth Cartoonized

If you’re like many Canadians, you’ll likely experience a dental emergency at some point in your lifetime. Dental emergencies require prompt dental care to quickly treat an issue and avoid further complications. They can be painful and, when ignored, can cause significant damage to a patient’s teeth, gums, jaw, and overall health.

While there are many types of dental emergencies, here is a list of some of the most common:

Toothache

A toothache can be caused by various factors, including minor cavities, gum disease, or a dental abscess caused by infection. Symptoms can include sharp, throbbing pain, sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, and swelling around the affected tooth.

Treating a toothache can involve placing or replacing a filling, performing a root canal treatment, or removing the affected tooth in some cases.

Broken Tooth

A broken tooth can be caused by trauma, biting down on hard foods, or significant decay. Symptoms can include pain, sensitivity, and sharp edges that can cut a patient’s tongue or cheeks.

Treatment options for a broken tooth may include using dental bonding to repair the damage. A dental veneer or crown may also be recommended in some situations, and our team may discuss root canal therapy with patients who have a tooth fracture that has reached their tooth’s pulp chamber.

Knocked-Out Tooth

A serious dental emergency that requires immediate attention, it’s vital that patients who experience this type of injury or trauma receive prompt treatment to increase their chances of saving their tooth.

After calling for immediate care, a patient should hold the tooth by its crown (the white, enamel-covered area), rinse it with water, and try to gently place it back in its socket. If this isn’t possible, the tooth should be placed in a cup of milk and brought to your appointment.

Abscessed Tooth

An abscess is a severe oral infection that can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. Symptoms include severe pain, swelling, fever, and pus that can form inside a tooth, in the gums, or the jaw.

Treatment options may include root canal therapy, draining the abscess (this is a temporary solution), or extraction when root canal therapy isn’t an option.

Lost Filling Or Crown

A lost filling or crown can cause pain and sensitivity, and when not treated quickly, it can lead to further decay in the affected tooth.

Treatment options may include reapplying the filling or crown, adding a replacement filling or crown, or root canal therapy in some cases.

Bleeding Gums

Bleeding gums can be caused by gum disease or trauma. Symptoms often include red, swollen, and tender gums that bleed when brushing or flossing.

Treatment options may include deep cleaning, root planning, and scaling to remove plaque and tartar build-up.

Dental emergencies can be scary and painful, and they require prompt attention to avoid further complications. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, call us immediately! Whether you need crown & bridge treatment, root canal therapy, one or more dental implants in Edmonton, or another service altogether, the MAK Dental team is here to help!

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