A little bleeding from a bitten lip or irritated gum may stop quickly, but what happens when bleeding begins after a fall, sports accident, broken tooth, or other injury and does not seem to slow down? Mouth bleeding can look especially dramatic because even a relatively small amount of blood mixes with saliva. Still, persistent

Have you looked in the mirror and suddenly noticed that one side of your face or jaw appears swollen? Facial swelling can have several causes, but when it develops alongside tooth pain, gum tenderness, sensitivity, or a bad taste in the mouth, a dental infection may be responsible. Because infections can sometimes spread beyond the

Did a permanent tooth suddenly feel loose after a fall, sports collision, car accident, or blow to the mouth? Even when the tooth is still in place, looseness after trauma can signal damage to the ligament, bone, root, or nerve that supports the tooth. Because some injuries are not obvious from the outside, a prompt

Did a filling fall out while you were eating, or did a dental crown suddenly come loose at the worst possible time? Losing a restoration can leave a tooth sensitive, sharp, weak, or painful. In some cases, the tooth underneath may also be exposed to additional damage. Although a lost filling or crown does not

Have you noticed a throbbing toothache, a tender bump on your gums, or swelling that seems to be getting worse instead of better? These symptoms can point to a dental abscess, which is a pocket of infection that develops around a tooth or in the surrounding gum tissue. Because dental infections can progress quickly, knowing