When should you go to emergency room for tooth infection?

When I have a dental emergency, should I go to the hospital or go to an emergency dentist Armadale? This is the question that has been asked almost all people who have ever suffered an emergency related to oral health. Dental emergencies can occur at any time and, as with other emergencies, may require different levels of care.

The place where you should go when you have a dental emergency depends on the type of emergency you have. Look at these two ready practices before making a decision:

You must go to the hospital if …

Dental emergencies or traumas involving the face and mouth that require immediate medical attention are:

  • Jaw fractures
  • Jaw dislocations
  • Severe wounds of the soft tissues of the face and mouth
  • Abscess or infection that is very inflamed and affects breathing or swallowing (especially if you suffer from immunosuppression)

You must visit the dentist if …

There are other types of dental emergencies that are not as serious or life-threatening but also require immediate attention:

  • A broken or cracked tooth
  • The avulsed (fall entire tooth)
  • Pain from a decayed tooth or tooth abscess

These types of emergencies do not require a hospital visit . In these situations you should call your dentist in Armadale. Hospitals are not equipped correctly to give the necessary treatment to this type of emergencies, such as the restoration of a tooth.

Dental emergencies should always be taken seriously. Be prepared to face a dental emergency and know what you should do beforehand when it happens is very useful as there are many possibilities that sooner or later you or someone around you will be involved in a situation of these.

If you want more information about how to act in different dental emergencies you can find more instructions in the articles of our blog, such as how to respond to a broken tooth . In any case, it does not hurt to always have at hand the phone of your dental clinic Propdental to call first of all and ask for advice on how you should act.

Most people experience toothache during their lifetime, but pain is subjective, so it can be difficult to decide when your toothache warrants an emergency dental appointment. If your child were experiencing tooth pain, you’d already be on your way to the dental clinic, but when it’s yourself, you might hesitate and wonder if a toothache is a dental emergency.

It can be tempting to take your usual over-the-counter pain medication and power through, but doing this can worsen the problem and make it more costly to treat. Toothache is a symptom of an underlying problem and can’t be ignored.

Our dentists are available 24/7 and are experienced in treating all dental emergencies.

When Is It Considered an Emergency?

Trauma that causes noticeable damage to your teeth is an obvious dental emergency, but the signs of a dental emergency aren’t always so clear.

A mild toothache or pain that’s only felt when your teeth come into contact with hot or cold substances might not need same-day emergency care, but you should make an appointment to see a dentist to prevent it from worsening.

Dental pain can change from mildly irritating to excruciating surprisingly quickly. If you’re suffering from an intense, unrelenting toothache, you need to seek emergency dental care immediately.

What Causes Severe Toothache?

Toothaches can be due to anything, from a chipped or cracked tooth to gum disease, but the cause of severe dental pain is often a tooth abscess. A tooth abscess is an infection in a tooth or at its root. When bacteria gets into a tooth or to the root of a tooth, it can multiply and create a buildup of pus that results in a severely painful abscess. Untreated tooth decay and breaks in tooth enamel are common ways for bacteria to enter a tooth and cause this type of infection.

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is caused by an overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth that damages the surface of your teeth. It’s usually the result of poor oral hygiene or consuming excessive sugary foods and drinks that allow the bacteria to thrive. The resulting decay destroys your tooth’s hard white outer layer, creating a cavity (a hole).

Dentists routinely treat cavities by filling them, but if left untreated, the decay can continue through the tooth’s inner layer to the tooth’s sensitive inner tissue (the pulp) and cause intense pain. Regular check-ups and dental cleanings can prevent tooth decay from becoming a major issue.

Recommended: How To Spot the Signs of Tooth Decay

Broken Tooth

A broken tooth from a fall or sporting injury is usually easy to spot and is often accompanied by bleeding and intense pain. A badly broken tooth can create a fracture that causes soft tissue trauma by splintering into your gums, tongue, cheek, and even your tooth’s pulp. When this happens, the pain is unbearable. An injury like this needs immediate medical attention so you can minimise pain and, when possible, save your tooth.

Fractures in teeth can also be the result of weakened enamel. This break might not be visible and can go unnoticed until the fracture deepens. If you can’t see any breaks in your teeth, but you feel an intense sharp pain that’s focused in one area when you bite into your food, you might have a crack in your tooth. This type of fracture might not require immediate attention, but you should see a dentist as soon as possible.

Recommended: What To Do With a Broken Tooth?

Infected Tooth

Tooth infections are characterised by throbbing pain and facial swelling, making it difficult to eat and even talk. Swelling from tooth infections can rapidly develop because the abscesses they create cannot drain. Feeling a sudden drop in pain followed by a foul-tasting fluid in your mouth signifies that an abscess has burst. However, this doesn’t mean you can forgo treatment or that your infection has cleared. Most infections are treatable through antibiotics, but further treatment is necessary for some circumstances. Without treatment, a tooth infection can spread to other areas of your body and cause life-threatening complications.

If you are experiencing severe toothache with any of the symptoms below, you may have a serious infection and need urgent medical treatment. If there is no emergency dentist in your area, go straight to the emergency room.

Symptoms of a severe tooth infection include:

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Swelling of your cheeks, jaw, and/or neck
  • A foul taste in your mouth
  • Bad breath
  • Stiff neck
  • Nausea
  • High fever
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Double vision or loss of vision

Recommended: What a Tooth Abscess Is and Why It Needs Urgent Dental Care

What To Do When You’re Experiencing Toothache

You should never disregard toothache. You should get any tooth pain checked out by a dental professional even when the pain is bearable, and there’s no visible damage.

If you’re experiencing an excruciating toothache, don’t try to wait out the pain; see a dentist immediately.

Summary

Several dental issues can cause toothache. Failure to identify and treat the cause of your toothache will lead to the problem deteriorating. The longer you wait to seek medical treatment for your toothache, the greater you risk serious complications like tooth loss, serious infection, or worse. When it comes to your teeth, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

When should I go to the ER for a tooth infection?

The patient should seek emergency help if the infection has become so painful and cannot be managed with over-the-counter medication. If the patient has developed a fever, has chills, is vomiting, or exhibiting other symptoms of having a dental abscess.

What will ER do for tooth infection?

Dental Treatment in the Emergency Room In the case of bacterial infections, they can provide antibiotics and will arrange for transfer to the hospital if necessary. They can also treat broken, dislodged, or fractured teeth and help to control severe pain.

When does a severe tooth infection become an emergency?

If you have a fever and swelling in your face and you can't reach your dentist, go to an emergency room. Also go to the emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing. These symptoms may indicate that the infection has spread deeper into your jaw, throat or neck or even to other areas of your body.

Will the ER remove an infected tooth?

An emergency room is the only facility that has the necessary equipment and personnel to handle the abscessed tooth and contain any widespread infection. Here, a CT scan can be done to establish the spread of the infection in addition to one being taken to the operating room to undergo oral incision and drainage.