First and foremost, if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, you should contact us immediately and we should be available to get you in our dental practice as soon as possible (760) 622-3010. No dental emergency? Maybe it’s best to save our number in your phone for that “rainy day”. Although these situations can be frightening, you can rest assured that you are in good hands and will receive the best emergency dental care possible in Carlsbad, California.

Knowing how to approach the dental emergency calmly and promptly reduces the chances of damage to your teeth and your health. Despite taking great care of your teeth, we know that accidents happen, and we want you to know that our team is here for you and can calmly walk you through the process. If you would like to see some of our dental work here is a link to our Smile Gallery.

Some of the most common types of dental emergencies include toothaches, falls, injuries from sports, or anything which can cause blunt force trauma to the face. If you knocked-out a tooth, place it in a container of milk and call us immediately. The sooner it is re-implanted, the more likely it is to embed itself back into the gum.

What are some common causes of toothaches?

  • Tooth decay. Bacteria create acids that break down healthy tooth structure, resulting in cavities. Sometimes, the decay or infection can be so large or deep that it goes into the nerve, ultimately causing nerve damage. Infection that reaches the nerve may also form a dental abscess (pocket of pus). Appears as “pimples” directly above the tooth on the gum, which is your body’s way of getting rid of the infection.
  • Teeth grinding or clenching. Also called bruxism, some people tend to unconsciously grind their teeth at night or during the day which causes teeth to wear, sensitivity, vertical fractures, and pain.
  • Food, residual cement, or leftover bonding embedded between your teeth. Debris between your teeth can cause pressure which may be painful or uncomfortable.
  • Jaw pain. TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder affects jaw joints causing soreness but may affect teeth as well.
  • Erupting wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth coming in may cause redness, swelling, and pain around the gum site. If part of the tooth is out, while some are partially underneath the gums, bacteria and food may seep underneath resulting in gum inflammation (also called pericoronitis). Depending on the tooth’s position, it may also cause immense pressure against the adjacent teeth.
  • Sinus infection. Sinus infection does cause toothaches, especially in the upper ends of your teeth as they are near your sinus cavities.
  • Mouth/tooth injury. Trauma to the mouth area from falling down some stairs, being involved in a surfing accident, or chewing on ice may cause teeth to chip or fracture.
  • Chipped/lost filling. Fillings that have chipped or have been lost can cause tooth sensitivity or pain.

Once again, if you’re experiencing any non-life-threatening dental emergency, please do not hesitate to give us a call so that we are able to get you the help you need (760) 622-3010. Once you’re able to come in, we can assess the situation and come up with the best treatment plan to get you feeling back to your best self!

By providing links to other sites, Elevated Smiles Cosmetic Dentist does not guarantee, approve, or endorse the information or products available on these sites. Pictures are either from in-house or downloaded from stock websites like Pixabay and Pexels. This blog has been endorsed & approved by Dr. Tina Saw.