What Is Considered To Be A Dental Emergency?

Not sure if you need to see an emergency dentist in Forest Lake for immediate care? It’s not always obvious which dental issues demand same-day treatment. So in this blog, Forest Lake Smiles will discuss a few of the most common dental emergencies, and why it’s so important to get treatment for them right away.
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1. Loose Or Knocked-Out Teeth

Loose teeth, whether due to an oral injury or chronic gum disease, are a serious dental emergency. Immediate care may be needed to splint your tooth and save it, so we recommend calling Forest Lake Smiles right away.

A knocked-out tooth is even more urgent. To save the tooth, it must be replaced within 1-2 hours at the most. Recover your tooth, rinse it off, and put it back into the socket or into a container of cold milk, then call Forest Lake Smiles.
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2. Chipped, Cracked, Or Damaged Teeth

Most often, teeth become chipped or cracked due to oral trauma like a slip and fall or a hit in a contact sport, but they can also become damaged due to biting a hard piece of food, or due to chronic oral health issues like bruxism.

Regardless of the cause, you need to get help for a chipped, cracked, or damaged tooth immediately. Tooth damage causes severe pain, and can raise your risk of further complications like tooth decay or infection. 
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3. Heavily Bleeding Cuts And Lacerations To Oral Tissue 

If you’re struck in the face, you may experience heavy oral bleeding if you have large cuts and lacerations to your cheeks, tongue, lips, or gums. If bleeding does not slow or stop within about an hour, you may need to see a dentist so that they can disinfect the cuts and stitch them to ensure you heal properly. 

4. Severe Toothaches And Oral Pain

Any kind of severe oral pain is a dental emergency. For example, if you have a toothache that’s been bothering you for a few days, you may need to see an emergency dentist. This could be a sign of an infected tooth, which is a serious oral health condition and will require treatment with root canal therapy. 
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5. Loose, Pulled-Out, Or Missing Dental Work 

If you lose a filling, pull out a crown, or otherwise damage existing dental work, you should get treatment from Dr. Siverson to restore your smile. You may not need same-day treatment, but you should have your dental work repaired and replaced as soon as possible. Losing dental work can cause tooth pain and discomfort, and also raises your risk of tooth decay and further complications. 
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Not Sure If It’s An Emergency? Call Forest Lake Smiles To Find Out! 

When it comes to emergency dentistry, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If you’re not sure whether or not you need same-day care, just contact Forest Lake Smiles at (651) 464-8207 to speak to our team. Dr. Siverson is always standing by to provide same-day emergency care for patients at our office.