What is Considered a Dental Emergency?

At Tomken Centre Dentistry, we offer emergency dental care for those times when your dental issue just can’t wait. But sometimes it’s not so easy to determine whether or not an issue requires immediate attention. Understanding your symptoms and their severity will help you answer that crucial question: “Is this a dental emergency?”

What is a Dental Emergency?

A dental emergency is technically defined as any potentially life-threatening dental condition. Here, we’ll use the term more generally to refer to any dental condition requiring urgent attention. These are conditions that require treatment as soon as possible to relieve intense pain or discomfort or prevent infection from spreading. The following are a few common dental conditions and their symptoms that may qualify for an emergency appointment.

• Tooth Infection:
  • Tooth or jaw pain
  • Swelling
  • Oozing
  • Fever
  • Sour taste
  • Difficulty swallowing
• Periodontal Disease:
  • Excessive or frequent bleeding from the gums
  • Aching gums
• Soft Tissue Injury:
  • Severe trauma to the lips or tongue due to cuts or bites
• Cracked or Broken Teeth
  • Tooth is broken or cracked, causing pain or discomfort
• Knocked-Out Teeth
  • Trauma-induced
  • Internal nerve chamber exposed
• Possible Cancer
  • Biopsy reveals a potentially cancerous lesion

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, contact our Mississauga office immediately. We will help you to determine if you require emergency treatment. If so, we’ll bring you in as soon as possible to provide you with much-needed relief.

Should I Go to the Emergency Room?

While the issues listed above are perfectly valid reasons to seek emergency dental care, there are dental-related issues that require even more immediate attention. These are true dental emergencies that cannot be postponed due to their life-threatening potential. They are as follows:

• Uncontrollable bleeding from the mouth
• Rapidly spreading dental infection
• Trauma to the mouth restricting breathing

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, seek care at the nearest emergency room facility immediately. Standard dental practices are not equipped to address these issues with the expediency they require.

Still Unsure if You Need Emergency Dental Treatment?

Feel free to call our Mississauga office to speak with one of our dental professionals. We’ll be happy to talk to you about any dental issues you’re experiencing to determine whether or not emergency treatment is the best course of action.