Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you in severe pain?
- Do you have loose teeth or have you lost a tooth?
- Do you have a broken tooth?
- Do you notice swelling near a tooth or around your face? An abscess is an infection in your mouth and can potentially be life-threatening so treatment shouldn’t wait.
- Are you bleeding from your mouth?
- Have you had any trauma to the mouth, jaw, or face? (accident, sports injury, a fall, etc.)
In general, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. This consideration also applied to severe infections that can be life-threatening.
If the problem can wait until your dentist can see you in the next couple of days, it isn’t a dental emergency. Sometimes problems that seem critical can actually wait for a day or so.
If you have a dental emergency, contact us immediately.