If you’re dealing with sudden, severe tooth pain, you might feel overwhelmed. Our dental specialists at Oasis Dental Team in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, are here to help. Knowing whether to head to an emergency room or call an
emergency dentist is crucial.
While many people look for a simple checklist of exactly five signs, clinical triage relies on a broader look at your symptoms. Some situations require immediate medical stabilization at an ER, while others need prompt structural repair in a dental office.
1. Swelling in your face, jaw, or neck
Swelling is a major warning sign of a spreading infection. If swelling is rapidly expanding or makes it hard to breathe or swallow, go straight to a hospital emergency room.
Once you’re medically stable, we can perform definitive treatments such as a root canal to remove infected tissue or an extraction when your tooth can’t be saved.
2. A completely knocked-out tooth
A knocked-out tooth is a true dental emergency. The cells on the surface of the tooth root can be damaged quickly once the tooth is out of the mouth, so immediate treatment is important.
Keep your tooth moist in milk or saliva and seek care immediately. Our team provides prompt care to help restore damaged teeth and protect your smile.
3. A high fever with your toothache
A fever indicates that a localized dental infection may be spreading to other parts of your body. If you have a high fever, chills, or physical weakness alongside tooth pain, seek immediate medical evaluation.
We use advanced technology to locate the source of infections and provide targeted
restorative dentistry once you’re stable.
4. Uncontrolled bleeding in your mouth
Severe bleeding after an injury or extraction that doesn’t stop with pressure is a serious concern. Seek immediate professional care to stop the bleeding and protect your oral health.
We offer safe, comfortable
oral surgery and emergency care to manage trauma.
5. Severe, throbbing pain that does not respond to medication
Excruciating pain often points to deep decay or an infected nerve. However, pain level alone doesn’t always dictate a life-threatening emergency. For most toothaches that aren't causing severe swelling, breathing problems, or other serious symptoms, an emergency dentist is usually a better choice than the emergency room.
A
study of 57,098 emergency department visits analyzed patients seeking care. Among dental visits, 36.6% of patients received opioid prescriptions. For nondental visits, only 14.0% received these prescriptions.
Hospital ERs generally lack specialized dental equipment. They can provide temporary relief and stabilize urgent problems, but most emergency rooms can’t provide definitive dental treatment such as root canals. Instead of visiting an ER for localized pain, contact us for emergency care.
Don’t wait for tooth pain to get worse. If you have a dental emergency,
contact Oasis Dental by phone or request an appointment online today.
