Accidents will happen throughout life. Sometimes, accidents will result in emergencies that require prompt treatment. We want to make sure you understand exactly what should be considered a dental emergency in case you’re ever faced with the situation.

What is Considered a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies will fall into either one of two categories – or both in certain cases.

Tooth-Related Injuries

Tooth-related injuries pertain to incidents in which your teeth are affected in some way. A few tooth-related injuries that are frequently considered a dental emergency are:

  • Knocked-out teeth
  • Loose, cracked, or fractured teeth (chipped teeth are not considered an emergency)
  • Crowns that have fallen out
  • Toothaches

Any crowns or teeth that have fallen out should be treated as soon as possible in order to prevent further damage.

Toothaches are a bit trickier to discern. It is considered an emergency if the pain is severe, which is subjective in most cases. But you’ll know what “severe” is if it happens. You have a deep cavity that should be addressed promptly before it worsens.

We offer emergency dentistry services at our Los Angeles, CA dental office.

Tissue-Related Injuries

Tissue-related injuries generally involve trauma to the lips, cheek, mouth, or tongue which include:

  • Puncture wounds
  • Lacerations
  • Tears

Before scheduling an appointment with an emergency dentist, it is advised to clean the affected area with warm water.


Common Signs that Point to a Dental Emergency

If you have trouble deciding whether or not your unique incident should be considered an emergency, then simply check yourself for these signs:

  • Blood is present
  • Severe pain or aching (i.e. nagging toothache) exists and does not respond to pain medication
  • Swelling, bulges, or knots are detected
  • Infection (which may manifest itself in the form on an abscess)

At Ganji Dental, we offer on-call emergency dentistry services in Manhattan Beachin case accidents described above ever occur. One of the most important pieces of advice we can give in any emergency – dental or not – is to try your best to remain calm despite the circumstances.