Brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily can be a simple and effective way to decrease the likelihood of having a dental emergency, but unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that you’ll never have an urgent issue.

For example, you might develop a severe or persistent toothache at any time, including in the evening after your dentist’s office has closed for the day. If you are struggling to sleep through the throbbing until you can contact your provider for an appointment, continue reading to learn 3 tips that can help you get some much-needed rest!

Chipping a tooth can be surprising, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. Whether it happened while biting something hard or from an accidental injury, your first instinct may be to wait and see if the tooth gets better on its own. Unfortunately, chipped teeth cannot repair themselves. While the discomfort may fade temporarily, the underlying damage remains—and ignoring it can lead to bigger problems.

Understanding why a chipped tooth won’t heal and why prompt treatment is important can help you protect your long-term oral health.