It’s important to regularly visit your dentist – usually once or twice a year for a general teeth cleaning, oral examination, etc. If you do regularly visit your dentist, you’re probably in good oral health. But, accidents happen from time to time, and in the case of dental emergencies, it’s important to recognize when you should go to a dentist, and how quickly.

You wouldn’t ignore an injury or problem elsewhere on your body, would you? Chances are, you would head right to the emergency room of a hospital, so a dental emergency should be no different. You shouldn’t have to live in pain or discomfort, and if you wait too long to see a dentist, you could make the existing problem even worse.

Most dental offices either have an emergency phone line, or even a separate building or extra hours specifically dedicated to patients with emergencies. If not, they can more than likely direct you exactly where to go so you can get immediate treatment. Not sure what qualifies as an actual dental emergency? Here are some of the most common issues you should contact your dentist about immediately:

• Getting a tooth knocked out
• Losing a filling/crown
• A dislodged tooth (this may be able to be saved if you get to a dentist as soon as possible)
• Cracked teeth

Obviously, most of these emergencies wouldn’t occur on a regular basis, and most take some sort of trauma to the mouth for them to occur. It’s always best to have a dentist check over things, even if you may feel like the problem isn’t that big. Losing a tooth, or any part of it, will always be considered something that needs immediate response in the dental world, so don’t ignore your oral health when it needs the attention.