Any trauma to your mouth may cause lacerations or bleeding of the gums, fractured or broken tooth, and may require an emergency dental attention. Furthermore, fracture of the dental restorations such as veneers, bridges, or crowns is also classified as dental emergencies.

What Qualifies as Dental Emergency?

A variety of dental conditions are regarded as dental emergencies, and when they happen, you need to visit an emergency dentist near you.

1. Toothache

Toothache is pain affecting your teeth and gums and is usually caused by tooth decay, abscess, tooth fracture, dental filling, and infected gums. Besides pain, you may also experience swelling around the tooth, fever or headache.

Come for an emergency dental checkup if you have severe recurrent pain that has lasted for more than 36 hours, headaches and fever.

Remember, a proper dental assessment and diagnosis are important to prevent the spread of the infection to other parts like face or skull.

2. Broken teeth

Ideally, broken teeth are not a dental emergency, unless the crack is significant. Call our dentist if the fracture extends to the root, have severe pain and bleeding, or the tooth has completely dislodged from the tooth.

As soon as the tooth injury occurs, you can rinse the mouth with warm water and apply pressure to stop blood flow. Using an ice pack is also beneficial as it will help to reduce swelling, but avoid taking aspirin because it increases bleeding.

If the tooth is dislodged completely, rinse the affected area with running water and scrub it. Hold the tooth by the crown and if you can push it back to the socket. When you come to the clinic, the dentist will assess if the tooth can be saved or not.

3. Gum swelling and soreness

Gum soreness is a symptom of an underlying dental condition such as gingivitis, gum disease, dental abscess, and infection.

Although gum swelling is not a dental emergency, you should see our dentist immediately if you have persistent bleeding.

4. Soft tissue injury

Soft tissue tongue, gums, cheeks, and lips are sensitive and once injured, they can be extremely painful. The soft tissues can get injured when you accidentally bite them or after a fall. A throbbing pain is the first symptom, later you may develop a fever and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, the soft tissues could be infected, further aggravating the problem.

Ensure you have rinsed your mouth with saltwater and apply pressure to slow down the bleeding. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, contact our maxillofacial or oral surgeon.

5. Broken jaw

A broken jaw is an injury to the Temporomandibular Joint, which connects the jaw and skull. Sports injuries, accidental falls, and physical assault to the face are all causes of the dislocation.

Jaw dislocation causes pain, swelling, bleeding, jaw stiffness, numbness and bruising to the face. Call 911 if you have uncontrolled bleeding, difficulty bleeding, or spine injury.

Broken jaw treatment will depend on the location and severity of the fracture. The dentist may treat the jaw using wires and stabilization, but oral surgery may be done in severe cases.

6. Orthodontic emergencies

Orthodontic emergencies occur when you break your dental appliance or they become loose. These emergencies include loose dental fillings or sealants, crowns, brackets, broken braces and wires, cracked veneers and bridges.

Remember, underneath the veneers and bridges are your natural teeth that have been grounded down. If the veneers or bridges crack or come off, the teeth will be exposed and extra sensitive. Plus, they will affect your appearance.

Emergency Dental Services in Robbinsville, NJ

Dental accidents can occur at any time and you need a dental clinic that offers emergency dentistry. At Mercer Smiles Family Dentistry, we have an emergency dentist as well as after hour emergency dentistry services to provide treatment and relieve pain and swelling.

If you are unsure that the injury is an emergency, call our dentist in Robbinsville, NJ and we will be happy to serve you so you can regain normal oral function.

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