Emergency Dentistry

Common Dental Emergencies That Need Immediate Care

Knowing what counts as a true emergency helps you act quickly when problems arise:

Severe Toothache

Intense, persistent tooth pain signals a problem that needs professional attention. The pain might come from deep decay that’s reached the nerve, an abscess forming at the root, or a crack you can’t see. Rinsing with warm water and using a cold compress can provide temporary relief, but you need emergency dentistry in Greer to address the underlying cause. Dr. Igor Lantsberg can diagnose the source of pain and provide treatment that actually fixes the problem instead of just masking symptoms.

Knocked-Out Tooth

A tooth that’s been completely knocked out requires immediate action. If you can find the tooth, pick it up by the crown (not the root), rinse it gently with water, and try to place it back in the socket if possible. If that’s not feasible, keep it moist in milk or saliva. Getting to the dentist within an hour dramatically increases the chances of successfully reimplanting the tooth.

Broken or Cracked Teeth

Fractured teeth range from minor chips to severe breaks that expose the inner pulp. Even small cracks can worsen over time or allow bacteria to enter, leading to infections. Save any pieces you can find, rinse your mouth with warm water, and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. The treatment depends on the severity—minor chips might need simple bonding, while deeper fractures could require crowns or root canals.

Lost Fillings or Crowns

When a filling falls out or a crown comes loose, the exposed tooth becomes vulnerable to further damage and sensitivity. You can temporarily place the crown back on with dental cement from a drugstore, but this is only a short-term fix. Prompt professional care ensures the restoration gets properly reattached or replaced before the tooth suffers additional damage.

Abscessed Tooth

An abscess is a serious infection that forms a pocket of pus around the tooth root. Symptoms include severe pain, swelling in your face or gums, fever, and a foul taste in your mouth. Abscesses don’t resolve on their own and can spread to other parts of your body if left untreated. This situation requires immediate dental care and often antibiotics to control the infection.

What to Do Before You Reach the Dentist

Taking the right steps immediately after a dental emergency can protect your teeth and reduce pain:

Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area.
Use a cold compress on your face to minimize swelling.
Take over-the-counter pain relievers as directed for temporary relief.
Avoid aspirin directly on the gums, which can burn tissue.
Don’t eat hard or sticky foods that could worsen the damage.
Keep knocked-out teeth or broken pieces moist and clean.

These measures provide temporary help while you arrange urgent care, but they don’t replace professional treatment.

How Emergency Dental Visits Work

Emergency appointments focus on relieving your immediate pain and stabilizing the situation. The team evaluates the damage, takes X-rays if needed to see what’s happening beneath the surface, and determines the best course of action. Sometimes the problem gets completely resolved in one visit—a lost filling replaced, an abscess drained and medicated, or a cracked tooth repaired with bonding.

Other situations require follow-up care. If a tooth needs a crown but the infection must clear first, you might get a temporary crown and antibiotics, then return for the permanent restoration. If a knocked-out tooth gets reimplanted, you’ll need monitoring over the following weeks to ensure it reattaches properly.

Preventing Future Dental Emergencies

While you can’t avoid every potential accident, some precautions reduce your risk. Wear a mouthguard during sports or activities where facial injuries occur frequently. Don’t use your teeth as tools to open packages or crack nuts. Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels, and other extremely hard items that can fracture teeth. Address small problems like minor cavities before they become painful emergencies.

Regular checkups catch issues early, too. A crack that’s barely visible during an exam can be reinforced before it splits completely. Decay gets filled while it’s still minor instead of waiting until it reaches the nerve and causes severe pain.