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Five signs you need an emergency dentist

While attending your pre-booked dental appointments is essential to keep your teeth and gums healthy, there are times when you may not be able to wait until your next check-up to get a problem resolved. If you require urgent attention for a tooth-related problem, you’ll need to visit your dental practice for emergency dental care as soon as you possibly can. Here are five signs that you need to see an emergency dentist:

Intense pain

While you may experience toothache now and again, long-lasting bouts of intense pain might be a sign of something serious. It may be that you’ve got an infection, have something stuck in a cavity, or are dealing with tooth trauma, in which case it’s best to seek dental assistance as soon as you can – especially if the pain persists even after you’ve taken painkillers.

Excessive swelling

If you notice persistent swelling around your lips, tongue or gums, it’s time to seek emergency dental assistance. There are a number of reasons why your mouth may start swelling, and while it may be as a result of an allergic reaction or a bump to the face, it could also be a sign of something worse. For example, the swelling could be an indication of an infection or an abscess, in which case you’ll want professional advice on how best to treat it.

A broken jaw

As with any broken bones, it’s extremely important to seek emergency help from a qualified dentist if you believe that you may have broken your jaw. You’ll need to get help immediately, otherwise, the problem could develop and an infection may start to spread. Above all, you’ll likely be in intense pain and will want to be checked over as soon as possible.

Excessive bleeding

If, for whatever reason, your mouth is bleeding uncontrollably, you’ll need to seek emergency help as soon as you can. Whether this is because you’ve split your gums or you’ve lost a tooth, it’s important to get the problem checked over urgently. If the cut doesn’t stop bleeding within a few minutes or if you’re concerned about the amount of blood you’ve lost, contact an emergency dentist as soon as possible.

Broken or lost teeth

Getting a chipped or cracked tooth seen to by a dentist isn’t just about getting your smile back. Leaving a damaged tooth untreated could leave you in a great deal of pain, especially if the tooth falls out altogether. Fortunately, if you’re able to see a dentist within an hour of the tooth being knocked out, they may be able to reattach it – however, this will depend on the severity of the problem.

If you’re in need of a qualified emergency dentist, look no further than Riverside Dental Practice. We’re registered with the Out of Hours Stirling Rota Emergency Service, meaning one of our on-call dentists is available to provide urgent dental care to our clients outside of normal business hours. Based in Stirling, our friendly and highly-trained dentists offer services to both NHS and private healthcare patients, making us a top choice of dental practice in the local area.

For more information about our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at Riverside Dental Practice today.