Dental Emergencies

Front 1

a localized collection of pus in a specific area of soft
tissue or bone

Back 1

Abscess

Front 2

Bacterial plaque

Back 2

an acid that is produced by bacteria in food
debris adhering to the smooth surfaces of the teeth

Front 3

the process that destroys the enamel (hard surface) of a
tooth

Back 3

Decay

Front 4

Dental caries

Back 4

a microbial process that starts on the surface of
the teeth and leads to breaking down of the enamel and dentin

Front 5

swelling that is confined to a small area at the site of a
sinus tract (a channel that forms through the alveolar bone and the
soft tissue as a result of a periapical abscess)

Back 5

Gumboil

Front 6

Interdental papilla

Back 6

a triangular fold of gingival tissue that fills the
contact areas of adjacent teeth; it helps prevent food from packing
between the teeth

Front 7

any pathological or traumatic disorder of tissue that
creates a loss of function of the area affected; this pathologic
break that is produced on or in the tooth surface is called a carious
lesion or commonly called a cavity

Back 7

Lesions

Front 8

Necrotic

Back 8

dead tissue

Front 9

temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Back 9

spasms of the muscles
used for chewing.

Front 10

Pit and fissure caries

Back 10

occur on the occlusal surfaces, the buccal and lingual grooves of the posterior teeth, and the
lingual pits of the maxillary incisors

Front 11

occur on intact enamel other than pits and fissures

Back 11

Smooth surface caries

Front 12

Root surface caries

Back 12

occur on any surface of the root

Front 13

Secondary caries

Back 13

occur on the tooth surrounding a restoration

Front 14

Caries can occur in four general areas of the tooth:

Back 14

Pit and fissure caries;Smooth surface caries;Root surface caries;Secondary caries

Front 15

Acute Pulpitis

Back 15

Symptoms:
l Spontaneous, continuous, or intermittent pain that lingers
l Piercing and pulsating pain in the affected area
l Increased pain when lying down

Front 16

Acute Pulpitis

Back 16

Signs:
l A large carious lesion in which the pulp is exposed
l Blood or pus oozing from the pulpal exposure
l A fractured tooth or missing restoration

Front 17

Periapical Abscess

Back 17

Symptoms:
l Constant, throbbing pain in the affected area
l Increased pain when chewing
l Increased pain when lying down
l A bad taste in the mouth
l The tooth "feels" longer than the others
l Malaise or a general ill feeling
l Tender lymph nodes
l Fever

Front 18

Periapical Abscess

Back 18

Signs:
l Severe pain even when light pressure is applied to the affected tooth
l A gumboil
l General or localized facial swelling
l Tooth mobility
l An elevated temperature
l Enlarged lymph nodes

Front 19

Signs:
l Bleeding gums
l Red, swollen and painful gums
l Pushing on the gums causes pus to come from between the gums and teeth
l Gums pulling away from the teeth
l A change in the way the teeth come together when biting or chewing
l Teeth appear longer because the gums are receding
l Loose teeth
l Bad breath
l Dentures not fitting normally

Back 19

Periodontal Diseases

Front 20

Gum disease and periodontitis

Back 20

two basic forms of periodontal disease.
Gum Disease

Front 21

Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gingival tissue.

Back 21

Probably the most
common human disease, it is also the easiest to treat and control. Gingivitis
is painless and often unrecognized until a dental professional can
emphasize to a patient the importance of good oral hygiene in the reversal
and prevention of gingivitis.

Front 22

Gingivitis is divided into two major types,

Back 22

marginal and necrotizing
ulcerative gingivitis (NUG) .

Front 23

Marginal gingivitis

Back 23

a relatively mild inflammation of the borders of the gingival
tissue. Sometimes, the inflammation is localized; it may exist around one, two, or a
group of teeth. If the condition is generalized, then it will exist around all the teeth.
The most frequent cause of marginal gingivitis is the presence of bacterial plaque
buildup due to lack of adequate oral hygiene.

Front 24

Symptoms:
l Sore or swollen gums
l Bleeding gums

Back 24

Marginal Gingivitis

Front 25

Marginal Gingivitis

Back 25

Signs:
l A painful reaction or gingival bleeding when finger pressure is applied
l Red, swollen gingiva with a loss of stippling
l Heavy plaque and calculus deposits in the affected area

Front 26

Symptoms:
l Bad taste in mouth
l Pain when eating or brushing
l Sore gums

Back 26

Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis

Front 27

Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis

Back 27

Signs:
l Swollen gums
l Bleeding gums
l Ulcerations and cratering of the interdental papillae
l Gray-white membrane covering the gingiva
l Pus oozing from the gingiva
l Area of gingival recession
l A severe infection of the gingival tissue
l Heavy plaque and calcium deposits
l Elevated temperature

Front 28

Periodontitis

Back 28

Symptoms:
l A deep, gnawing pain in the affected area
l Itching of the gums
l Sensitivity to heat and cold
l Bleeding gums
l A toothache with the absence of caries
l Increased spacing between the anterior teeth
l Food sticking between the teeth
l Loose or elongated teeth
l An uneven bite

Front 29

Signs:
l Inflammation of the gingiva that involves the crest of the alveolar bone and periodontal ligament above the
alveolar crest
l Localized or generalized gingival bleeding
l Tooth mobility

Back 29

Periodontitis

Front 30

Periodontal Abscess

Back 30

by an infection of the periodontal tissues. It is usually the result of a long-continued
irritation by food debris, deep deposits of calculus, or a foreign object packed in the sulcus or interproximal spaces

Front 31

periapical abscesses

Back 31

Symptoms:
l Constant, throbbing pain in the affected area
l Increased pain when chewing
l Increased pain when lying down
l A bad taste in the mouth
l The tooth "feels" longer than the others
l Malaise or a general ill feeling
l Tender lymph nodes
l Fever

Front 32

Signs:
l Severe pain even when light pressure is applied to the affected
tooth
l A gumboil
l General or localized facial swelling
l Tooth mobility
l An elevated temperature
l Enlarged lymph nodes

Back 32

periapical abscesses

Front 33

Pericoronitis

Back 33

the inflammation of the gingiva around a partially erupted tooth. During eruption, the tooth breaks
through the gingiva tissue sometimes leaving a small flap of tissue over the crown of the tooth. Debris accumulates
beneath the tissue flap resulting in an acute inflammation. Inflammation can also result from constant contact between
the tissue flap and the tooth in the opposing arch. Pericoronitis most often affects mandibular third molars.
Symptoms:
l Pain when chewing
l A bad taste in the mouth
l Difficultly in opening the
Signs:

Front 34

Pericoronitis

Back 34

Symptoms:
l Pain when chewing
l A bad taste in the mouth
l Difficultly in opening the
mouth
l Swelling of the neck or
cheek near the affected
tooth
l Fever

Front 35

Signs:
l A partially erupted tooth
l Red, inflamed tissue around a
partially erupted tooth
Pus oozing from under an
overlaying tissue flap
l A painful reaction when finger
pressure is applied
l Enlarged lymph nodes
l Elevated temperature

Back 35

Pericoronitis

Front 36

inflammation of the gingiva that involves the crest of the alveolar bone and the periodontal ligament
above the alveolar crest. It is marked by the gradual loss of attachment of the periodontal tissues.

Back 36

Periodontitis

Front 37

Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis

Back 37

may result from untreated marginal gingivitis, poor dietary habits, smoking or alcohol consumption, a rundown
physical condition of the patient, or a combination of these factors.

Front 38

severe infection of the gingival tissue, commonly referred to as "trench mouth."

Back 38

Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis

Front 39

Marginal gingivitis

Back 39

relatively mild inflammation of the borders of the gingival
tissue. Sometimes, the inflammation is localized; it may exist around one, two, or a
group of teeth. If the condition is generalized, then it will exist around all the teeth.
The most frequent cause of marginal gingivitis is the presence of bacterial plaque
buildup due to lack of adequate oral hygiene.

Front 40

Acute pulpitis

Back 40

an inflammation of the pulp caused by injury to the pulp, usually from dental
caries or trauma. The pain is caused by the pressure of fluids building up inside the pulp
chamber or root canal.

Front 41

periapical abscess

Back 41

usually results from an infection of the pulpal tissue
causing the pulp to become necrotic. This type of infection causes fluids and
by-products to build up within the walls of the pulp chamber and root canal.

Front 42

Stomatitis

Back 42

a general term used to denote inflammation of the oral mucosa:

Front 43

Herpetic gingivostomatitis

Back 43

presents as round ulcerations or groups of ulcerations on the
oral mucosa

Front 44

Aphthous stomatitis

Back 44

presents as a 2-4 mm lesion on the oral mucosa. These are
commonly known as "canker sores."

Front 45

Recurrent labial herpes

Back 45

caused by a virus that produces the so-called fever blister or
cold sore. They are usually found on the lip and can easily be transmitted to others
through casual contact.

Front 46

Symptoms:
l Painful swelling
l Pain when eating or drinking
l A fever, headache, or rundown feeling (for herpetic gingivostomatitis
only)

Back 46

Stomatitis

Front 47

Stomatitis

Back 47

Signs:
l Red, swollen areas with blisters or small craters formed in the center
l Blisters or craters covered with a grayish-white or yellowish
membrane
l A fever blister, cold sore, or canker sore

Front 48

Stomatitis

Back 48

Smoke
l Eat acidic or hot foods
l Drink alcohol or use products that contain alcohol such as mouth
rinses that will dry out the mouth

Front 49

involves the removal of a tooth (or teeth) from it's socket (extraction).

Back 49

Exodontia

Front 50

Post-extraction hemorrhage may occur any time from a few hours to several days after the
extraction of a tooth.

Back 50

Symptoms:
l Weakness in conjunction with blood loss
l Blood on the pillow after sleeping

Front 51

Signs:
l Bleeding that starts, or fails to stop, after an extraction
l Large amounts of blood in the mouth
l Blood oozing or flowing from a recent extraction site
l Blood or a large blood clot in the patient's mouth

Back 51

Post-extraction hemorrhage

Front 52

Dry Socket

Back 52

Post-extraction alveolar osteitis is a condition that
results when a blood clot fails to form or washes out
of the socket of a recently extracted tooth. The
bleeding from the extraction site may be light or
heavy.

Front 53

Symptoms:
l Severe constant pain that can run from the ear
to the lower jaw
l Loss of blood clot

Back 53

Dry Socket

Front 54

Dry Socket

Back 54

Signs:
l Food visible in the dry socket
l Alveolar bone visible in the dry socket
l A foul odor in the mouth
l Fever
l Bleeding that starts, or fails to stop, after an
extraction
l Large amounts of blood in the mouth

Front 55

four different types of tooth fractures

Back 55

Type I - Enamel Fracture
l Type II - Enamel/dentin fracture
l Type III - Enamel/dentin fracture with exposed pulp
l Type IV - Root fracture

Front 56

Type I - Enamel Fractures

Back 56

Symptoms:
l Pain when eating or drinking
l Sensitivity to heat, cold, or air

Front 57

Signs:
l Rough or sharp area on the tooth

Back 57

Type I - Enamel Fractures

Front 58

Type II - Enamel Fractures

Back 58

Symptoms:
l Very rough or sharp area on the tooth
l Sensitivity to heat, cold, or air
l Toothache

Front 59

Signs:
l Extensive fracture involving the enamel and dentin layers

Back 59

Type II - Enamel Fractures

Front 60

Type III - Enamel Fractures

Back 60

Symptoms:
l Severe, throbbing pain
l Severe pain from heat, cold, and air
l Inability to chew

Front 61

Type III dental fractures

Back 61

Signs:
l Very rough or sharp edges
l Extensive fracture with the pulp exposed
l Most or all of the crown is fractured off or bleeding

Front 62

Type IV - Root and Enamel and Fractures

Back 62

Symptoms:
l Severe pain from heat, cold, and air
l Inability to eat anything without severe pain

Front 63

Signs:
l A fractured root (as seen in the patient's X-ray), which may be further
complicated by a fracture of the crown
l Tooth mobility
l Other facial trauma associated with the accident
l A tooth that is moving or loose

Back 63

Type IV - Root and Enamel and Fractures

Front 64

Traumatically Extracted Tooth

Back 64

Occasionally, a patient may report with a tooth that has been knocked out of
socket. When this happens, immediately place the tooth in sterile saline,
and send it along with the patient to a dentist.