Excellence in Dentistry: When is a Symptom a Dental Emergency

Comments: A common question is "When is a symptom a dental emergency?" The most common symptoms are pain or swelling in your mouth, and should never be ignored. There can be major and even life threatening complications from an untreated dental infection. The most common dental emergency is an abscessed tooth. This may begin with a throbbing pain in the tooth and may be intense. Most people describe being able to feel their pulse in the tooth. The tooth may be sensitive to hot and cold as well as to biting pressure. Left untreated the area around this tooth may begin to swell. Any drainage from this area may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Often the tooth pain from an abscessed tooth will wake you up at night or prevent you from falling to sleep. The risk of not treating the tooth at this stage can lead to a high fever and chills. This is a sign that the infection may have spread beyond this area. Swelling can also continue to the point where it may be difficult to breathe or swallow. These are life threatening complications and can lead to permanent injury or death. Even when the problem is not as severe, infected teeth and bleeding gums pump huge amounts of bacteria into the blood during eating and swallowing. This is one of the main causes for heart disease and diabetes. People that have diabetes and gum disease have greatly increased death rates due to cardiovascular disease and kidney failure. Chronic tooth infections can also aggravate Rheumatoid Arthritis, and resolving this problem could possibly decrease symptoms of this disease. The most serious and life threatening dental problem encountered today is oral cancer. This usually manifests as a sore or swelling in the mouth or jaw which does not disappear within a week or two. The cancer when not detected in the early stages can be very harmful. Oral cancer may spread all over the face and neck causing disfigurement and life threatening problems. Anyone can be at risk for these cancers, but if patients smoke and consume large amounts of alcohol, they are in a much higher category of risk. Even young people can be at risk for these cancers, with increased smoking and smokeless tobacco use being on the rise in this group. For any dental problem, prevention is the best form of cure. Early diagnosis and treatment of dental problems can help prevent complications that are life threatening, and increase individual health.