Emergency Dentist Shelby Township, Michigan

What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?

Sometimes you may think your dental issue isn’t an emergency when it actually is. Other times you may think it’s an emergency, but it’s not. That’s why it’s so important to talk to an experienced dentist — we have the training necessary to determine what course of action you should take. Below, we list a few guidelines for you about dental emergencies.

• Pain: Not all pain is an emergency, but severe pain that doesn’t improve much with pain relievers or that prevents you from sleeping probably is. If you have persistent pain, call us.
• Bleeding: Some bleeding is to be expected if you’ve had a tooth extraction or if your child has lost a tooth naturally. But if the bleeding persists for hours, something may be wrong. Call us to discuss.
• Infection: Signs of infection include redness, swelling, tenderness, throbbing pain, sensitivity to heat and cold, sensitivity to pressure, fever, bad taste in the mouth, and swollen lymph nodes. An infection can be dangerous. Call our dentist's office right away.
• Tooth trauma: A broken or knocked-out tooth is often the result of a car accident, sports injury, or physical fight. We may be able to save the tooth if you act quickly and recover the pieces. Call our dentist for further instructions.
• Broken bones in the face or jaw: Trauma can also result in broken bones. You may think you should go to the emergency room, but many ERs don’t keep an oral and maxillofacial surgeon on staff. Call us to find out if you should see our dentist first.
• Broken braces: Some loose wires can be covered with wax, but other times broken braces can cause significant damage to the mouth, tongue, or lips. Call us if your braces break.
• Broken or lost fillings or crowns: You may not notice if your crown or filling falls out. Other times, it can be quite painful when this happens. If you’re in this situation, try to save the pieces if you can and call us for further instructions.
• Broken bridges or dentures: Broken bridges or dentures are not always an emergency, but if it prevents you from eating, it may be. Call us to discuss the issue.

Not acting quickly to get help when you have a dental emergency could lead to permanent damage. It’s always best to call our dentist's office to find out if you need immediate attention or if your issue can wait until the office opens.

Our dentists are here for patients 24/7. If you think you have a dental emergency, call Bright Side Dental & Orthodontics of Shelby and talk to one of our dentists.