Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?

Some toothaches make themselves known as a whisper, while others blow the doors off with a scream. Tooth pain can also worsen incredibly quickly, so a dull throb at lunchtime can become unbearable before the clock strikes midnight. 

Tooth pain is your body sending your brain a series of signals that something is amiss. It’s important to listen to these messages and take prompt action, hopefully before your pain worsens. At Chroma Dental in the Midtown East community of New York City, Yev Davidov, DDS, Brianna Davidov, DDS, and Gregory Shank, DDS, are standing by to help. 

How to know if tooth pain is a dental emergency

It isn’t always easy to know if a set of symptoms meets the threshold of a dental emergency. Some issues, like a knocked-out tooth, a broken tooth, or mouth trauma that causes significant bleeding, are clearly emergency scenarios. However, a toothache can vary in severity from mild to severe. 

If you’re like many people, you might be inclined to downplay tooth pain, hoping that if you just wait it out, circumstances will improve. You may not want to make a big fuss over your discomfort, or you might want to focus instead on your lengthy to-do list. 

One of the best ways to determine if you are experiencing a dental emergency is to consider whether you can comfortably wait to see your dentist during a routine scheduled office visit. You should seek out emergency dental care if the answer is “no.” 

Is postponing emergency dental care risky?

It depends on the cause of your toothache. A small cavity can cause tooth pain, but doesn’t pose a serious risk to your dental or overall health. However, other causes of tooth pain are more severe. 

Here are some toothache causes that should be treated promptly:

• Advanced gum disease
• Infection
• Cracked tooth
• Advanced dental decay

Of all these, infection is the most serious. An infection in your gums or tooth can enter your bloodstream and cause widespread harm. Note that a cracked tooth, advanced gum disease, and significant dental decay all place you at risk of infection. 

What signs indicate seeking immediate emergency dental care?

If your toothache is impossible to ignore and you’re also experiencing chills and fever, the best thing you can do is head to Chroma Dental for immediate care. The office offers 24/7 emergency dental services, so it doesn’t matter whether your symptoms worsen during the middle of a weekday or late on Saturday night. 

Additional signs that emergency care is needed include swollen gums, swelling along your jaw or beneath an eye, or bleeding that doesn’t stop after a short period of pressure. 

Should I head to the emergency room for a toothache?

In most cases, a medical emergency room is not the best place to turn to for urgent dental needs. While the staff at your local ER can help stop bleeding and provide short-term pain relief, they won’t be able to address most of the root causes of dental pain. You need to come in to see the Chroma Dental team for those services. 

So why not cover all your needs at once? Chroma Dental offers around-the-clock emergency dental care, including diagnostic and treatment services for toothaches. Call the emergency hotline at 646-933-8174 or use the online scheduling page to set up a same-day visit.