If you recently hurt a tooth or part of your mouth, you might feel unsure about whether that injury is severe enough for a dentist to need to examine it.
As a general rule, your Fairfax dentist should always look at tooth injuries soon after they happen because it’s possible to sustain internal, invisible damage that won’t be detected without a dental x-ray. Even if you only sustain a minor injury to your smile, it’s a good idea to schedule a dental appointment within a few days.
But what about same-day or late-night dental appointments? If your damaged tooth is broken, bleeding, painful, or outside of your mouth, you probably have a dental emergency and should schedule an emergency visit for that very same day.
Common dental emergencies in Fairfax, VA include:
- Broken jaws and broken teeth
- Bleeding teeth or severely bleeding gums
- Avulsed teeth, also known as “knocked-out teeth”
- Toothaches or shooting tooth/nerve pains
- Painful, broken dental restorations
- Oral infections
- Fractured or cracked teeth
Even if you’re not positive that your dental injury is an emergency, you should call your dentist anyway. Your dental treatment team can walk through your injuries with you over the phone and help you decide what’s best to do next.
