Dental emergency

A dental emergency requires immediate attention in most cases. Cleveland Clinic lists examples: a badly cracked tooth, a knocked-out tooth, a partly dislodged tooth, a dental abscess with swelling of the face and jaw, a lost or broken restoration, and a severe soft tissue injury. It advises you to contact your dentist or go to the emergency room.

The ADA says most dentists reserve time in their daily schedules for emergency patients, so call and give as much detail as you can. Call 911 or go to an emergency room right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling that spreads toward your eye or neck.

See knocked-out tooth, toothache, and facial swelling. The practice describes its approach on the emergency dentistry page.