The human mouth is a complex place, and with various elements of different sizes, shapes, and composition. This leaves the mouth vulnerable to a number of potential problems, many of which are not considered “emergencies” by our Rochester dentist. However, there are a few circumstances where you’ll want to visit our local dental office right away, before the problem worsens.

Depending on the size of the crack/chip and the nature of the afflicted tooth, a cracked or chipped tooth can be very painful - not to mention putting a damper on your smile. If a tooth is injured in this fashion, make an appointment with our local dentist right away. Immediately afterwards, rinse your mouth with warm water and apply an ice bag to your face in order to reduce swelling. You can take aspirin for the pain, but don’t apply anything directly to the damaged area, as you’ll risk harming your gums.

If you have the bad luck of getting a tooth knocked out, you need to act fast and call Circle Drive Dental right away. Not just to treat the pain and any gum/root damage, but also to ensure the best possible odds of restoring the tooth. In fact, the first thing you should do is retrieve the tooth – be careful not to touch the root – and rinse it off. Then try and reinsert the tooth in its socket. If this doesn’t work, pour some milk into a small lidded container, place the tooth in the milk, and make an appointment with our dentist.

As painful as the first two problems cited here can be, an abscessed tooth is the most dangerous of dental emergencies. In the case of an abscess, a pocket of pus in the tooth causes an infection that can at the very least result in swelling, persistent toothache, and painful sensitivity. Left untreated, an abscessed tooth can be fatal if the infection spreads from the tooth into the surrounding tissue, and subsequently into other parts of the body. Right after alerting our local cosmetic dentist of your emergency, we recommend rinsing your mouth with mild salt water. Doing this a few times will help draw out the pus that caused the infection, and help reduce your pain.

Every year, millions of people experience some form of dental or oral pain. In many cases, this pain is something that is tolerable and “can wait until the morning”. But differentiating between an emergency and a non-emergency can be tough, so here’s a summary of the various signs that likely constitute a dental emergency:

• Severe pain and bleeding from the mouth
• Swelling in the gums or around the face
• A lost tooth
• An adult with a loose tooth, even without associated pain
• A chipped/cracked tooth that is painful and/or has resulted in a sharp edge that exacerbates discomfort

A healthy mouth is critical to overall wellness and peace of mind. Our general dentist offers years of experience caring for patients with a wide range of oral needs. Contact Circle Drive Dental today and get professional dental care that lasts a lifetime.