What is a dental emergency? Key symptoms to look out for from our dentist

When you have a dental emergency, it isn’t always as straightforward as extreme discomfort keeping you awake at night. Although, for most of our patients, that is indeed what prompts them to come and see our team!

Indeed, a lot of dental emergencies are more subtle than that, meaning that you may inadvertently be walking around right now with a symptom that would warrant a same day visit to our team!

So, if you are concerned that you have a dental emergency, feel free to contact our dentist in London. We will offer you triage over the phone and then, if we have concerns about your symptoms, we will offer you an appointment within the next 24 hours, to help get you back on track and out of discomfort as soon as possible.

With that in mind, what are some of the symptoms you should be keeping an eye out for? Here, our dentist in London provides a short guide.

Discomfort

Although we said that not all dental emergencies are uncomfortable, our dentist in London usually sees patients who are in discomfort, as it is a great motivator for them to get help!

A dental emergency that is uncomfortable may be signifying an abscess, an impacted tooth, extreme decay or even a lost filling or crown. So, if you have a twinge when you breathe, or a shooting sensation when you drink hot tea, give us a call!

Swelling

Dental swelling is synonymous with a dental emergency; there is a reason why swollen faces are always used in cartoons to depict toothaches!

But, the swelling itself may not hurt and may have come on gradually or suddenly. Irrespective of this, if you have swelling in your jaw, in your mouth or around your cheeks, you need to see our team, as this can point to an abscess or even an impacted tooth.

Sensitivity

Sudden dental sensitivity usually has two culprits; the first is an abscess and the second is a chipped or cracked tooth.

Indeed, if you have a sensitive tooth and notice that there is a crack or chip in the enamel, you need to see our team as soon as possible. Allowing a crack or chip to remain open allows bacteria to get access to the underside of the tooth, the dentine, where it can cause decay to form and even an abscess.

Lost restorative

Most people who have either a filling or crown may lose it at some point; porcelain and composite crowns and fillings have a longer lifespan than amalgam ones but are not immune to coming loose. If you think your filling is loose, or your crown has come out, you need to see our team as soon as possible to have it refitted.

Wobbly tooth

A wobbly tooth is a sign of either extreme trauma to the area or a sign of untreated gum disease. Either way, our emergency team will be able to assess the situation and will aim to splint the wobbling tooth to the nearest secure one, to preserve your smile and the tooth.