Nobody likes going to the dentist. I cannot think of one person of my acquaintance who looks forward to that necessary obligation. But sometimes it cannot be avoided. At some point in your life, you too may find yourself in need of emergency dental care.

Listed below are four symptoms that should not be ignored. Seek emergency dental care immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.

1. Cracked or broken Tooth
If you discover a crack or break in a teeth, you should have it repaired by a dentist immediately. A cracked tooth is vulnerable to decay. This means that, if ignored, the small crack could well become a cavity. Absent treatment, that cavity will continue to decay until it becomes unsalvageable. This would result in the removal of that tooth, or an emergency root canal.

If it decays it may also cause bad breath as well as increasingly intense pain. All of this can be avoided by seeing a dentist as soon as you become aware of a cracked or broken tooth.

2. A Knocked Out Tooth
Besides an unsightly gap in your mouth, this too can lead to serious problems from decay to cavities to removal of the remaining root. After that, expensive bridgework would be necessary, work that may or may not be covered by your insurance.

3. Painful or Swollen Gums
If you experience a growing pain that becomes more and more severe with time and is accompanied by swelling, you likely have yourself an abscessed tooth. This can be very painful. The abscess and throbbing means it is severely infected and needs immediate attention. Consider an abscessed tooth a dental emergency.

4. Lost Filling
If you ignore a lost filling, you will eventually pay for it in the form of major dental work due to the deterioration of that tooth.

Remember, good dental maintenance is your friend. It can help you prevent all four of the above scenarios. So be smart and don’t ignore dental emergencies.

For a list of dentists in the Milwaukee area click here…