Signs of a Dental Infection and When It's an Emergency

Do you wonder when that dental infection of yours called an emergency?

Read below to check when symptoms like pus, fever, or swelling will make you visit the Emergency Dental Clinic.

A cracked tooth or a chipped tooth left unattended can lead to pus formation. Further, it can alleviate the pain and cause face swelling. A few patients end up getting down with a fever. The infected tooth leads to a significant gum infection that calls for Emergency Dental Care. The tooth abscess forms when a previous injury or a dental cavity swells, resulting in a severe abscess. These situations, when left untreated, lead to life-threatening complications.

Learn more about tooth infections and dental emergencies below. Also, acknowledge when you must visit an Emergency Dentist.

Signs of Dental Infection

• Severe toothache that can spread to your ear, jawbone, or the neck
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Extreme discomfort and pain
• A sudden rush of foul-smelling and tasting salty fluid
• Sharp or sudden occurrence of pain
• Gum redness and swelling
• Loosening of the affected tooth
• Fever
• General discomfort or uneasiness

When To Call a Dental Infection an Emergency?

A dental emergency happens when your dental infection spreads to other body parts. Dental infection never seems to kill anyone, but the consequences can be fatal sometimes. You can call it an emergency when there are symptoms like:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• High fever
• Painful tongue and mouth
• Drooping eyelids
• Severe headache
• Loss of vision
• Confusion
• Itching or burning sensation in your skin
• Difficulty in breathing

If the patient experiences these signs, it's time you schedule your appointment with the 24-hour dentist. These emergency signs indicate the dental infection has spread deeper into your jaw. They will analyze if these symptoms have spread to other parts of your body.

How Will a Dentist Diagnose Your Dental Emergency?

A patient needs urgent dental care when these symptoms occur. Your 24-hour dental emergency dentist will run some tests and carry out the diagnoses via:

• X-Ray
• CT-Scan

They will conduct these tests to diagnose the depth of the dental infection. Dentists want to determine which areas are severely infected. They will also tap and press on your tooth/teeth to check how sensitive the area is. A thermal test will help your dentist determine the health of your tooth pulp.

A few dental emergency conditions get treated right away using antibiotics. These medicines fight off bacteria, and your tooth is saved. A few patients may require proper surgical treatment to treat dental infections and prevent complications. These treatment options include:

• Root Canal
• Incision and drainage to drain out the pus
• Tooth extraction

These are the last options when the infection spreads in and around your gums and body. An untreated abscess can wreak havoc on your overall health.

Conclusion

Taking immediate emergency dental services when you struggle with a dental infection is the right step. You must visit your nearest dentist or call the Emergency Dental Service team to connect you to the right ER dentist near you.