Everyone should see a dentist at least once per year for an exam, x-rays, and a thorough cleaning. This will ensure cavities get filled as soon as they start to form and that conditions like gum disease can be addressed at the onset. However, in between regular visits you may have need to see an emergency dentist like Bath Street Dental Practice. Note a few signs that you may want to schedule an appointment as quickly as possible or get medical treatment immediately.

1. If a tooth has split, cracked, or chipped

Any type of cracks or chips in your teeth should be treated by an emergency dentist at once, so that they do not become worse and you suffer tooth loss altogether. In many cases an emergency dentist can bond the tooth or put a cap over it so that the crack or chip does not get worse. However, ignoring this problem can allow the split or crack to get bigger so that an entire chunk of the tooth or the tooth itself falls out. In turn you may need to have the tooth replaced with an implant, which is a much more complicated and expensive procedure.

2. If you've suffered an injury with extreme pain anywhere around the jaw

Not every bump and bruise constitutes a visit to the emergency room. However, if you hit your jaw on the car dashboard during an accident or were involved in a fistfight, or if you were playing sports and had an impact to the jaw and you're now in extreme pain, you should see an emergency dentist. This can signal damage done to the bones of the jaw or to the teeth in an area you cannot readily see. An emergency dentist can x-ray the jaw line and note if teeth have been knocked loose or any jaw bones have been broken, and treat you accordingly.

3.  If your gums are very red, swollen, or bleeding

In some cases you may have something lodged between your teeth that is causing your gums to swell and discolor, and using floss to remove it can solve the problem. If this isn't true for you and you cannot easily determine why your gums are inflamed or bleeding, you want to see an emergency dentist. You may have the onset of gum disease, an oral infection, an abscessed tooth, or another problem that will not simply go away on its own. It's good to have these addressed immediately so you don't increase your risk of tooth loss.