Sometimes we bite into something a little hard and hear a little tiny crack. We feel around with our tongue and if everything seems okay and if there’s no lasting pain we assume that it’s okay to wait until our next dentist appointment to get things checked out. How can we know when we have a dental emergency? Is it better to wait it out and hope the pain eventually goes away by itself?
Dr. Lorraine Burio of Candlewood Dental Care has been treating patients in the New Fairfield, CT area for over twenty-five years. She is on call for dental emergencies and can be reached by calling the office number. If you have any of the dental emergencies below, it is a good idea to make an emergency appointment to get treatment and relief from pain immediately.
- Cracked tooth/Lost or loose fillings
Any time you hear or feel a crack in your tooth, it’s important to get it looked at right away. If you’ve cracked your tooth, you will want to get it repaired before the damage becomes greater. If you have lost your filling or have a loose filling, food particles and bacteria among other things can easily slip into your exposed tooth and cause damage or infection. You might not notice or think it’s a big deal, but the longer you leave it, the worse it will be when you eventually come in for a check up.
- Major Toothaches
You may have felt your toothache slowly getting worse until you can’t stand the pain anymore, or you may have woken up to sudden aching that isn’t going away. Either way, you should see your dentist immediately in case the pain is representative of something very serious that needs to be fixed right away.
- Swollen Jaw/Sore Gum
Pain or aching that is constant is a signal from your body telling you that something is wrong. If you have persisting pain in your jaw or gum, things can escalate quickly and you could end up in a hospital if you have a serious infection. Remember, your brain is very closely linked to your mouth and it can be one of the first places that bacteria or infection travels to.
If you have a dental emergency that is not listed above but is just as serious, give us a call at 203-746-1200. Whatever the situation is, we will make sure that you get the treatment that you need!