Imagine this scenario: You are walking on a sidewalk and slip over a wet spot and fall face down. While you haven’t sustained any major injuries, part of your teeth took the impact, and now it’s shaky, and you’re bleeding. The point here is, accidents can happen at any point when you least expect them. So, it is always better to know what a dental emergency is in order to deal with the situation better.

What constitutes a dental emergency?

Most oral injuries can be construed as a dental emergency. For instance, you may have a cracked or knocked out tooth that occurred due to biting on textured food, a fall, a sports injury, or any form of accident. Other conditions like a swollen jaw, bleeding or aching gums, dental abscess, loose or numb teeth can all be called a dental emergency. While most surface-level injuries can wait for longer, there are these that need immediate care.

What you can do when dealing with dental emergencies

Dental emergencies can occur at any time, so here are a few tips to deal with them in the most effective way possible, as recommended by the American Dental Association.

• When you have a cracked tooth, make sure to immediately rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. Then apply a cold pack to ensure the swelling doesn’t increase.
• If you have a knocked-out adult tooth, keep it moist at all times. Also, if it’s possible, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that doesn’t work, keep it between your cheek and gums or in milk, or use a preservation product and rush to your dentist’s office.

Bottom line, a dental emergency always needs a dentist’s care. So, when you are faced with any of the conditions mentioned above, you would be well placed to rush to your dentist’s office at the earliest.