When it comes to visiting your dentist, you likely attend regularly scheduled appointments, but may also make in-between appointments in the event of noticing an issue such as a tingling tooth. There are other times, however, that you experience a dental emergency and should call your dentist's emergency phone number right away — even if it's after regular business hours. You shouldn't call the emergency line for every dental issue that you face; for many issues, scheduling an appointment during business hours will suffice. However, there are a handful of dental issues that should require emergency care. Here are some examples.

Lost Tooth

Whether you're playing a sport and lose a tooth after getting knocked by an elbow or a tooth pops out when you're eating something hard, you should always call your dental clinic's emergency phone number to receive guidance. In many cases, the dentist will want you to come in right away. The dentist can also give you some techniques to care for the tooth in the meantime. For example, the dentist might suggest that you keep the tooth in a small container of milk and bring it to the dental clinic with you. The presence of the milk can keep the tooth's roots healthy.

Severe Pain

Occasionally, you might experience severe dental pain without knowing the reason. While you might try to deal with the discomfort by taking a pain pill or going to sleep, it's worth contacting your dentist right away instead. There are a number of things that can cause dental pain, but perhaps you've cracked or chipped a tooth to the point that the root is exposed. This will lead to extreme discomfort, especially when you put hot or cold foods or liquids in your mouth. An emergency visit to the dentist's office will allow him or her to identify the cause of the problem and treat it.

Lip Injury

When you receive a lip injury, which can happen during contact sports such as hockey or rugby, you can either choose to visit the hospital's emergency room or call your dentist. If the dentist does lip surgery, he or she may recommend that you come in right away. In other cases, the dentist will recommend that you visit the emergency room to deal with the trauma, but also make an appointment during regular clinic hours for a dental checkup. Your phone call will give you the chance to clearly explain the nature of the injury so that the dentist can suggest the best course of action.

For more information, contact local professionals like Family First Dentistry LLC.