Notice any of these symptoms? Call your dentist ASAP! 

When it comes to your dental health, you can never be too cautious, especially when symptoms can lead to multiple major dental issues. Knowing when it is a true dental emergency and when it is not can save you a lot of time and money.

In fact, ignoring aches and pains going on in your mouth can potentially lead to a bigger dental emergency in the future. Here are ten signs you may be having a dental emergency. 

1. You’ve Got a Loose Tooth (& You’re an Adult!)

Under normal circumstances, an adult should never experience a loose or wiggly tooth. Loose teeth point towards an injury and can be extremely painful. If you had a recent sports-related injury or a recent accident, getting your teeth checked is a good idea.

Localized infection can also indicate loose teeth. Seek dental assistance immediately so that your dentist can determine the type and cause of infection plaguing you. Early treatment will be able to prevent the infection from spreading or any of your teeth from being extracted. 

1. A Severe Toothache

A severe toothache requires dental help immediately! Treatment will most likely be needed, so a proper diagnosis is necessary to figure out how to dispense treatment. Lifestyle choices and habits can lead to toothaches, so changing those may be part of your regime for mending the issues.

Also, if the pain increases in severity or lingers after sensitivity to touch or temperature, you should seek dental help right away!

1. Bleeding/Aching Gums

Bleeding of the gums that is excessive, recurring, or leaves the gums aching is a warning sign that should not be ignored. This is usually one of the signs of gum disease. Gum disease occurs in stages and some of those stages leave you unable to restore your teeth to their previously healthy state.

Proper brushing techniques and flossing regularly will help you prevent gum disease and being left with bleeding or aching gums!

1. A Swollen Jaw

Swollen jaws typically point to an infection somewhere in the mouth. One of the most common possibilities is a salivary gland infection. Your swollen jaw is usually accompanied by a bad taste in your mouth, fever, and trouble breathing or swallowing when you have this type of infection.

Salivary gland infections are usually bacterial and are caused by a blockage in the gland. While these are atypical infections, seeking a dentist for a swollen jaw is imperative! 

1. A Dental Abscess is Present

An abscessed tooth is a very painful infection that can be found at the root of the tooth. Typically, these abscesses are caused by untreated cavities or severe gum disease. They can also be caused by a chipped tooth or trauma to the mouth. Symptoms of an abscess include fever, foul taste in the mouth, pus, and swollen glands. 

Abscessed teeth usually require surgery to ensure the infection is drained and treated properly. If you believe you have an abscess, get yourself to the dentist ASAP! 

1. A Lingering Canker Sore

Canker sores are normal if they go away on their own. Unfortunately, there are instances where canker sores linger and can become infected. An open sore in your mouth that has not healed in two weeks needs dental attention immediately! 

1. Constant Headaches

Headaches can be symptomatic of many different things, but sometimes they point towards a dental issue. If you have chronic or recurring headaches it can point to something serious. Since the teeth and head are connected, mouth or jaw pain easily affects the head. 

Check with your dentist if you are having constant headaches as it can point to bruxism (grinding of the teeth). 

1. Your Tooth Went Numb

What may start out as an extremely painful toothache may begin to feel numb. If you lose the feeling in your teeth, that is a sign that the infection has traveled and is affecting the root of your tooth. A lack of total feeling is never a good sign as it can point to an abscess or a possible need for a root canal.

Contact and see your dentist immediately for a numb tooth to prevent further spread of problems!

1. You Are Exceedingly Tired

Oral infections can come out in your body as any other infection, which includes feeling exhausted. Your body is working overtime to heal itself, so there is always an underlying problem. Checking with your dentist is always a good idea to make sure that the root of the cause is not in gum disease or an abscessed tooth. 

1. Metallic Taste

If your mouth tastes like metal, chances are there is a problem with one of your pre-existing fillings. Sometimes, an old filling may get cracked or become loose. This can cause the open filling to lead your mouth to new infections and additional cavities. 

If you suspect this could be happening in your mouth, it is probably a good idea to get it checked out and get a replacement filling. Ignoring it can lead to toothaches, cavities, or even a root canal. 

Stay in tune with your body and pay attention to what is going on in your mouth.

Dental health is extremely important and affects so many of the things we do daily. Since you spend so much time caring for your teeth multiple times a day, it’s important to take the time to inspect and clean your mouth properly.

At The Complete Dentistry of Orland Park, we take time to care for and educate our patients on proper dental health so they can thrive and have a worry-free mouth. However, we know issues arise that cannot be avoided. Make sure to contact us if any significant changes happen with your oral health! We’ll get you in and get the problem solved so you can be pain-free and worry-free.