Dental Emergency Glossary
Curious about the terms you hear during a dental emergency? At AZ Dental Office Laguna Hills, we are proud to offer comprehensive dental care along with the resources to help you better understand each step of your treatment. One helpful tool we provide is our glossary for emergency dentistry in Laguna Hills, CA, which defines common terms related to urgent treatments, dental injuries, and recovery so you can feel prepared and confident when unexpected issues arise.
Common Dental Emergencies
- Abscessed Tooth: A painful infection at the root of a tooth or in the space between the tooth and gum.
- Avulsed Tooth: A tooth that has been completely knocked out of its socket.
- Broken or Chipped Tooth: A tooth that has been fractured or damaged.
- Extruded Tooth: A tooth that has been partially dislodged from its socket.
- Lost Filling or Crown: A filling or crown that has fallen out or become loose.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: Cuts or lacerations to the lips, cheeks, gums, or tongue.
- Toothache: Pain in or around a tooth, often caused by infection or inflammation.
Emergency Procedures
- Dental Splint: A device used to stabilize a loosened or displaced tooth.
- Emergency Extraction: Removal of a tooth that cannot be saved.
- Incision and Drainage: A procedure to drain an abscess.
- Pain Management: Using medication or other techniques to relieve pain.
- Reimplantation: Placing an avulsed tooth back into its socket.
- Root Canal Therapy: A procedure to remove infected or damaged tissue from inside a tooth.
Related Terms
- Cellulitis: A serious bacterial infection of the skin and tissues.
- Dry Socket: A painful condition that can occur after a tooth extraction when the blood clot is lost.
- Facial Swelling: Swelling of the face or jaw, often due to infection or injury.
- Hematoma: A collection of blood outside of a blood vessel.
- Ludwig’s Angina: A severe infection of the floor of the mouth.
- Trismus: Limited jaw opening or lockjaw.