---
title: "What Is Dental emergency? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "A dental emergency is an injury or problem in the mouth that needs fast care, such as a knocked-out tooth, a badly cracked tooth, or an abscess."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-emergency
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Emergency

# Dental emergency

A dental emergency is an injury or problem in the mouth that needs fast care, such as a knocked-out tooth, a badly cracked tooth, or an abscess.

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](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/avulsed-tooth-knocked-out-tooth), [toothache](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/toothache), and [facial swelling](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/facial-swelling-from-a-tooth). The practice describes its approach on the [emergency dentistry](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/emergency-dentistry) page.

[Town Center Dental can helpEmergency Dentistry](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/emergency-dentistry)

## Related terms

-   [Avulsed tooth (knocked-out tooth)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/avulsed-tooth-knocked-out-tooth)
-   [Toothache](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/toothache)
-   [Facial swelling from a tooth](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/facial-swelling-from-a-tooth)
-   [Fractured tooth](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/fractured-tooth)
-   [Dental abscess](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-abscess)

## Sources

1.  [Cleveland Clinic: What Is a Dental Emergency and Where To Go for Care](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11368--dental-emergencies-what-to-do)
2.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Dental Emergencies](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/dental-emergencies)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)