What does a dentist do for emergency tooth pain?

Have you ever suffered from a gum abscess, a broken tooth or inflammation around a wisdom tooth? If you have experienced one of these, then you know that the chasm between ‘a tooth issue’ and ‘a genuine dental emergency’ is a deep one.

According to a recent study, the total number of people who went to an emergency room seeking treatment from dental pain rose from just 1.1 million in 2000 to an incredible 2.1 million in 2010.

At its core, a dental emergency is exactly that: an issue that requires immediate medical attention to help correct and preserve your long-term oral health.

But not all pains are created equal. Just because you are in pain, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a dental emergency.

How to Know If You’re in a Dental Emergency

Not every dental situation is a true dental emergency. To determine the severity of your dental problem, ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you experiencing genuine, severe and sustained pain? Intense pain is a major warning sign of a true emergency.
• Have you lost a tooth? If so, this is an emergency, and if you act fast, you may be able to save it.
• Are any of your teeth loose? This is something that should never happen to an adult.
• Do you currently have an infection? A serious tooth infection or even an abscess can potentially be life-threatening.
• Are you bleeding? This is also a major warning sign of an emergency.

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Equally important is your ability to identify situations that are not considered to be a dental emergency.

• Chipped tooth. A tooth that has become chipped or cracked is only an emergency if it is very painful or has left sharp fragments that can cause damage inside your mouth.
• Toothache. A toothache isn’t necessarily an emergency if you don’t also have signs of issues like an abscess. You will know it’s an abscess if you feel a bump on your gums, swelling on your face around your mouth or even a very high fever.
• Losing a crown or a filling. While this can be a harrowing experience, it too is not necessarily an emergency.

Common Dental Emergencies and Their First Aid

Some of the most common types of dental emergencies include, but are certainly not limited to, things like the following:

• A tooth that has been knocked out. If this happens to you, you need to take action quickly. Take the tooth by its crown and rinse it gently. If you can reinsert it into the socket, do it. If you can’t, put it in a container of milk. Milk’s chemical composition is compatible with teeth, so placing your tooth in a glass of milk helps preserve your tooth. Then take it with you to the dentist. If you act fast, they’ll likely be able to save it.
• A chipped or cracked tooth. Clean your mouth with warm clean water, and apply a cold compress to your face to help keep the swelling down. Take a pain reliever and head to the dentist at your first opportunity.
• An abscessed tooth. This can easily cause worse problems if you’re not careful, ranging from a significant toothache to a high fever. Rinse your mouth with mild salt water a few times and see your dentist.

A Dentist vs Hospital Treatment: What to Know

Whether or not you should go to the dentist or the hospital depends on your situation.

As a rule of thumb, contact your dentist first. Most of them have emergency hours and are willing to see you to get the help you need.

Jaw fractures, dislocations and serious cuts or lacerations are situations where you would want to head to the emergency room.

Note that even if you go to the emergency room, you’ll still need to make a follow-up appointment with your dentist soon after. Emergency room professionals are great, but your teeth need a specialised level of care that can only be offered in the dental clinic.

Simple Precautions to Avoid Dental Accidents

Following oral hygiene best practices is the most efficient way to make sure that you don’t end up experiencing dental emergencies.

• Wear a mouthguard if you’re going to be playing sports and rough recreational activities
• Don’t chew hard candy, ice and popcorn kernels
• Use scissors — not your teeth — to cut things open

Facts About Dental Visits in Australia

Accidents happen. If you or a friend is suffering from a dental emergency, don’t delay — find appointments with affordable dentists near you.

All content and media on the HealthEngine Blog is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the nearest hospital emergency department, or call the emergency services immediately.

While any kind of toothache can be painful and uncomfortable, there’s a difference between a mild toothache that’s annoying and an extreme toothache that’s unbearable.

If you’ve tried rinsing, brushing and flossing and find the pain in your tooth to be too severe to cope with, you need to contact an emergency dentist immediately.

A toothache can indicate the presence of a tooth infection. If this infection spreads to other parts of the mouth or the body, this can lead to much more serious health consequences, not to mention more trips to the dentist and - ultimately - a more costly treatment to fix.

Read on to learn more about extreme toothaches, how to decide if your toothache is a dental emergency, and what to do if you’re experiencing a severe toothache.

How to know if you’re in a dental emergency

If you’re experiencing severe and sustained pain in your tooth, mouth or jaw, it’s a major warning sign that you need to see an emergency dentist immediately.

Dental emergencies can cover a range of serious concerns requiring urgent attention, including:

• A knocked-out tooth
• A chipped or cracked tooth
• A broken tooth
• A tooth abscess

An extreme toothache generally indicates a more serious oral health condition, so it’s important to see your dentist as soon as possible - they’ll be able to identify the underlying cause of your toothache and provide you with the emergency treatment you need.

Unsure whether your dental emergency requires a trip to the emergency dentist or the emergency doctor? Find out more here.

Why extreme toothaches are so painful and require emergency dental

A toothache occurs when the soft material inside the tooth - called dental pulp - becomes inflamed. Inflammation of a tooth’s dental pulp can be caused by:

• Dental cavities
• Trauma to the tooth
• Tooth infection
• Referred pain from the jaw

As dental pulp contains nerve endings that have a high sensitivity to pain, the symptoms of a toothache can be excruciating. 

By making an emergency dental appointment, your dentist will be able to alleviate the pain you’re experiencing, as well as investigate the cause of your toothache so the appropriate course of treatment can be provided.

What will a dentist do for severe tooth pain?

The way your toothache is treated will depend on your individual situation and what the emergency dentist has diagnosed, usually after conducting some x-rays to assess your teeth and mouth.

Rest assured that once you see the emergency dentist, you’ll be in the best hands. The dentist will do all they can to ensure you feel comfortable, with as little pain as possible, while they identify the underlying cause of your toothache.

To relieve the pain of your toothache, the dentist may:

• Apply anaesthesia to help numb the pain before proceeding with treatment
• Prescribe medication such as painkillers and antibiotics
• Use nitrous oxide gas if this is a suitable option

Once the underlying cause of your toothache has been identified, the emergency dentist will advise on the best course of treatment to address the issue. This may include:

• An emergency tooth extraction for a badly chipped or broken tooth
• Filling of a cavity or removal of the tooth in the case of a dental cavity
• Root canal treatment if an infection is present

How can you prevent a toothache?

Given the severity of pain that a toothache can cause, taking steps to avoid the preventable causes of a toothache is a good way to reduce your risk of having to deal with this dental emergency.

As cavities and tooth infections can develop as a result of poor oral hygiene practices, taking care to maintain your oral health can help to minimise your chance of getting a toothache. Here are some of the basic oral hygiene steps you can take to prevent a toothache:

• Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each time
• Floss your teeth daily with dental floss
• Reduce your intake of sugary and acidic foods
• Keep up-to-date with your regular dental check-ups
• Visit your dentist if you have any oral health concerns

Regular dental check-ups are an important step in preventing the factors that can cause a toothache. By identifying potential oral health issues early, your dentist can treat conditions sooner, before they develop into more serious problems.

Similarly, visiting an emergency dentist as soon as possible in the case of an extreme toothache can help to ensure you receive the urgent treatment you need - which could save you a lot of time, money and hassle in the long run by addressing the issue before it becomes more complex.

Have your toothache treated by the friendly dentists at National Dental Care

Your local National Dental Care or DB Dental practice is here to provide you with the emergency dental care you need to alleviate your pain and treat the cause of your toothache. During your consultation, your dentist will be able to identify the severity of the problem and ensure you receive the treatment you need as soon as possible.

It’s important to be mindful that a severe toothache is considered a dental emergency, so you should contact your local dental practice straight away - we offer same-day appointments for dental emergency on the weekend, so don’t delay getting in touch.

Remember, although emergency dental can be more expensive than standard treatment, seeing your dentist as soon as possible in the case of an emergency is always the best option.

Not only can they alleviate painful symptoms and treat the issue before it leads to more serious health concerns, but getting treatment sooner rather than later can save you from much higher costs further down the line. How much more expensive is emergency dental?

Find your nearest National Dental Care dentist now for an emergency dental consultation.