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Home7 Reasons Why You Might Need an Emergency Dental Appointment

7 Reasons Why You Might Need an Emergency Dental Appointment

While many niggling tooth concerns can be addressed in a regular dental visit, some oral health issues require urgent attention.

An emergency dental appointment is designed to help you get the treatment you need, as quickly as possible.

If you’re facing a dental emergency, it’s reassuring to know that National Dental Care Group offers same-day appointments for urgent cases. But you may be wondering, what exactly constitutes a dental emergency?

Whether you’ve cracked a tooth or are suffering from a nasty toothache, here are seven reasons why you may need to book in for one of our same-day appointments - so you can get your emergency taken care of sooner.

1. You’ve broken or knocked out a tooth

If you’ve had an accident that’s resulted in a tooth becoming broken or knocked out altogether, this definitely requires an emergency visit to the dentist.

The sooner you can get to your nearest emergency dental practice, the more likely it will be that your dentist will be able to restore your tooth with less complexity and cost.

2. You’ve lost a filling or dental crown

Suddenly noticed that your filling or dental crown has come loose or - worse - gone missing? Call your dentist immediately for an emergency dental appointment. By getting to your nearest practice as quickly as possible, your dentist may be able to fix the issue without you requiring a more invasive procedure like a root canal. Immediate attention can also minimise or stop further damage.

3. You’re suffering from unexplained toothache

If you’ve developed sudden and unexplained tooth or mouth pain, it’s important to see your dentist as soon as you can. Whether you’re experiencing shooting pains when you bite down or have a general throbbing ache in your mouth that’s getting worse, seeing your dentist sooner rather than later will enable them to identify the source of the pain so it can be addressed quickly, and offer emergency toothache relief to manage the pain.

4. Your gums won’t stop bleeding

While it’s not uncommon to experience occasional bleeding from the gums after brushing your teeth, frequent or persistent bleeding gums can be a sign of more serious oral health conditions such as gum disease.

If your gums are bleeding persistently or the bleeding is accompanied by pain or swelling, it’s important to book an emergency dental appointment to get to the bottom of the issue.

5. You have an abscessed tooth

An abscessed tooth - also called a dental abscess - is a small pocket of pus that can form in the bone around the tooth. If you’re experiencing moderate to severe pain in your tooth - particularly if the pain is radiating to your ear or neck - you may have an abscessed tooth which will require an emergency trip to the dentist so the affected tooth can be treated.

6. You have an exposed nerve in your tooth

The pain resulting from an exposed tooth nerve can be excruciating, so you’ll definitely want to get down to your local National Dental Care practice immediately.

As strange as it sounds, a bigger concern is if the pain you’ve been experiencing stops abruptly - this can signal the fact that the nerve has died. Without treatment, even though it’s no longer causing you pain, the site can become infected and create further problems.

In either case, book an emergency dental appointment so your dentist can provide you with the treatment you need.

7. Your jaw or mouth is swollen

If you notice your jaw or mouth begins to swell for no apparent reason, it’s time to call your local dentist and make an emergency dental appointment. Sudden and unexplained swelling can be a sign of more serious conditions, including infection, swollen lymph nodes and - in rare cases - cancer. An emergency dental appointment will allow your dentist to identify the cause and address the swelling as soon as possible.

To make an emergency dental appointment at your local National Dental Care practice, find your nearest practice and book online today.