In addition to being necessary for maintaining excellent dental health, routine dental exams allow your dentist to identify any dental problems that may be developing.

Yet, there are situations when you could feel a sharp pain or a persistent toothache. In these cases, it's best to visit a dentist immediately. Dental emergencies are no laughing matter. Infections, for example, not only compromise your teeth and gums. They could put your overall health and quality of life at risk if ignored. It could be time to see the dentist if you're showing any uncommon symptoms, like pain, bleeding, or swelling.

Read on to learn about the symptoms indicating when you should seek immediate medical attention.

1. Your gums are red, bleed, or are swollen 

Bleeding is one of the most typical indications of gum disease. As you brush your teeth or eat, you may notice symptoms of swollen or bleeding gums. If this happens frequently, it's crucial to schedule a dental consultation.

Early-stage gingivitis, often known as gum disease, is easily treated with simple cleaning and scaling at your dentist, which removes any accumulated plaque. Leaving gum tissue untreated can lead to periodontitis and, in more severe stages, missing teeth.

2. You have chipped, cracked, or missing teeth 

Cracking, chipping, or losing a tooth due to an accident will need an emergency dental care appointment with the dentist. If neglected, it can result in excruciating pain and tooth sensitivity, but it also gives bacteria access to the tooth, ultimately resulting in an infection.

3. There’s pus in your mouth 

Pus is the initial indication of an infection or gum abscess and has to be treated right away. If the infection is not addressed, it may spread and lead to further issues.

In severe circumstances, bacteria from an abscessed tooth may travel to other areas of the body, which may cause sepsis, a potentially lethal condition. Infections can be treated with antibiotics or with a root canal in severe cases.

4. You have persistent bad breath 

In addition to being embarrassing, poor breath may be a sign of a more serious medical condition. A multitude of conditions, including oral infections and any type of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, acid reflux, and even cancer, can all be indicated by persistent unpleasant odors from the mouth. Consider scheduling a dental consultation right away to make sure it's not one of them.

5. You can taste pennies in your mouth 

Another indication that something's wrong is if you have a continuous unpleasant taste in your mouth that isn't brought on by something you're eating or drinking.

A persistent bad taste in your mouth may be caused by an infected or abscessed tooth, gingivitis, tonsillitis, a cold, or the eruption of your wisdom teeth. The bad taste is brought on by toxins that are released by infections from the tooth itself.

Moreover, negative reactions to drugs or hormone imbalances, particularly in women, can cause a metallic taste. If you have an unpleasant taste that doesn't seem to be subsiding away, keep an eye out for more symptoms or schedule a dental visit.

6. You have stained teeth 

Our teeth frequently get yellow or discolored over time as a result of drinking staining beverages like coffee, wine, and tea. A quick teeth-whitening procedure can eliminate this kind of discoloration.

But if your tooth or teeth go from being yellow to being dark brown or grey, it can mean that the pulp inside the tooth is decaying. This is a clear indication of an infection.

It is crucial that you visit your emergency dentist right away if you detect any pus oozing out of the tooth. Ignoring this problem might be disastrous.