When an emergency occurs, time is often of the essence. If you have a dental emergency, please contact us right away. We make time in our schedule to offer emergency dentistry in our Richardson, TX dental office. We make time in our schedule to treat emergencies, or they will help you locate the proper dental professional needed for your emergency. For effective care without the wait, don’t hesitate to contact CityLine Dental Center .
Why Choose CityLine Dental Center for Emergency Dental Care?
#1 Same-Day Emergency Appointments Available
#2 Dr. Melody Stampe Has Over 30 Years of Experience
#3 Dental Insurance Welcome & Flexible Financing Available
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
Step 1: Call Us Right Away. As soon as it is safe for you to do so, contact our office. We do everything we can to see emergency patients for same-day appointments, so the sooner you call, the better! Additionally, one of our experienced team members will walk you through how to manage your situation until you can reach us.
Step 2: See Your Richardson Emergency Dentist: When you arrive, Dr. Stampe or Dr. Gater will see you right away for an examination. Once they’ve relieved any pain you’re experiencing and evaluated your condition, they’ll review your treatment options with you and together, you’ll make a plan to get your oral health back on track.
Step 3: Get the Professional, Gentle Care You Need. Thanks to our wide range of service and advanced dental technology, our team is well-equipped to handle any virtually dental emergency. Whether you need a dental crown, tooth extraction, root canal, or any of our other emergency treatments, your comfort and well-being will always be our top priorities.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. Some are fairly obvious, such as a broken or knocked-out tooth. However, for other situations like a bad toothache or lost dental crown, you may be unsure how urgently you need to be seen. In either case, we encourage you to call us. We can help you determine the severity of your issue over the phone and schedule your appointment accordingly. Below, you’ll find some important information about the most common dental emergencies we treat here at CityLine Dental Center.
No two dental emergencies are exactly alike, which is why there is no set cost for emergency dental care. How much you can expect to pay will depend on the severity of your emergency as well as which treatments are needed to address it. We will always provide you with a custom estimate before beginning any treatment, and we are happy to review all your options for making your care affordable, such as dental insurance coverage or flexible financing.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Not every dental emergency can be prevented or avoided. However, a few simple habits and practical precautions can dramatically lower your risk of encountering one of these scary situations. Actions as easy as practicing great oral hygiene, eating healthy, wearing a mouthguard, avoiding bad chewing habits, and visiting us twice a year can make a tremendous difference in the safety of your smile.
Dental Emergency FAQs
Although they don’t necessarily warrant a same-day visit, you should schedule an appointment with Dr. Stampe or Dr. Gater within the week. The reason why is that swollen, red, inflamed, and bleeding gums are usually a side effect of gum disease, which will continue to progress without the proper care. So, don’t hesitate to give us a call, even if your symptoms seem relatively minor.
No, but you can rinse the tooth with water if there is dirt or any other debris on it. After that, we recommend either placing it back in its socket (if it slides into position easily) or putting it in a clean container filled with milk. Then, focus on getting to our office ASAP; we need to provide the necessary care within the hour in order to have the highest chance of saving your tooth.
There are a few reasons the answer is “yes.” The first is that your teeth cannot heal/regenerate on their own. The second is that it’s possible for an infection to develop or the tooth to break further without treatment. So, while a same-day visit may not be necessary, you should schedule an appointment with us sooner rather than later.
As you likely know already, you should NOT pop a dental abscess on your own. Instead, you should schedule an appointment with one of our emergency dentists so they can open and drain it, removing the pus in the process. If further care is needed, like a root canal or tooth extraction, we will let you know and get to work on creating your custom treatment plan. That way, your healthy smile is restored in both the short and long term.
No, because household adhesives, like superglue, contain toxins that are not safe to ingest. They also don’t do well in damp environments, they can result in allergic reactions, and they can affect the way your food tastes. For all of those reasons, we recommend calling us instead of taking the DIY approach.
The reason we don’t recommend using toothpicks is because they often do more harm than good. This is especially true for wooden ones that can splinter off in your mouth. We recommend flossing instead and, if the debris doesn’t budge, rinsing with warm saltwater to help dissolve it.
Since hospitals don’t typically have dentists on-staff, we only recommend going to the ER if you’re experiencing potentially life-threatening symptoms. Some examples include uncontrollable bleeding, difficulty swallowing, and trouble breathing. If you’re dealing with a painful toothache, a loose dental crown, or inflamed gums, then make your first call to our Richardson dental office.
Toothaches
Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?
If you’re struggling with a toothache in Richardson, you might be wondering if it’s worth an urgent trip to our emergency dentist’s office. If the pain has persisted for several hours, there is discoloration on the tooth, or it’s uncomfortable to bite down on it, then the answer is yes!
How You Should Handle a Toothache
Whether your toothache is minor or severe, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your dentist so they can determine the root of the problem. Before arriving to our office, you can place a cold compress against the outside of your cheek or take an over-the-counter pain reliever to stay comfortable. Do your best to avoid agitating the tooth by steering clear of unhealthy dental habits (like smoking and nail-biting) as well as acidic, hard, and chewy foods.
How We Treat Toothaches
Before we can treat your tooth, we need to determine the source of the issue. For example, while a minor cavity can be treated with a small filling, a severely decayed tooth may require root canal therapy and a dental crown. Don’t worry – our experienced and friendly team will review all of your treatment options with you before getting to work on restoring your pain-free smile.
Patients often assume a chipped tooth isn’t a dental emergency, especially if they aren’t in pain. However, similar to cracked teeth, a chipped tooth can break further if it isn’t treated by your dentist, which can result in a sudden and potentially painful dental injury. So, it’s best to schedule an appointment within a day or two of the incident.
How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth
First, try to locate any pieces of your tooth that have broken off. If you find any, carefully place them in a plastic bag for safe keeping until your dental visit. To help prevent further damage, stick to soft foods and avoid habits that could split the tooth further, like nail-biting. If the edge of your tooth is sharp, you can cover it with a piece of dental wax or sugarless gum to avoid irritating the soft tissue in your mouth.
How We Treat Chipped Teeth
Again, how we treat your chipped tooth will depend on the extent of the damage. With that said, many patients opt for a veneer, which is a thin shell of high-quality dental material, like porcelain. They come in a wide range of lifelike shades, and they can last for 15+ years with proper care!
The answer depends largely on one thing: the extent of the damage. For minor cracks, you shouldn’t wait longer than a day or two to visit your dentist. For moderate and severe cracks, you should schedule an appointment right away. Note: it can sometimes be difficult to see dental damage, so take note of any abnormal symptoms you experience following an injury to your face, like pain when biting down.
How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth
Since a cracked tooth is vulnerable to further damage, it’s important to take several precautions leading up to your appointment with our Richardson emergency dentist. First, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and do your best to stick to soft foods, like yogurt and oatmeal. To alleviate any discomfort you’re experiencing, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Lastly, rinse with warm water periodically to keep the area clear of bacteria.
How We Treat Cracked Teeth
Oftentimes, we can seamlessly restore a cracked tooth with a dental crown. However, there are some cases where the damage is so extensive that the best option is to extract the tooth. In that case, we will need to discuss the tooth-replacement options available, like a dental implant or bridge.
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not always. If the sensation is new, however, then it’s worth erring on the side of caution and scheduling an appointment with our Richardson dental team. That way, we can conduct an exam and determine if an untreated oral health issue is to blame.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth From home, the only thing you can do is try to avoid exacerbating your discomfort. So, don’t drink hot beverages or cold foods, and, if necessary, take an OTC pain reliever as directed until your appointment with us.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth Persistent dental sensitivity could be the result of everything from a small cavity or severe gum disease. So, we will need to conduct a thorough exam before determining which of our services is needed to restore your healthy, happy, and pain-free smile.
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, and you need to act fast! With each passing minute, the likelihood of our Richardson emergency dentist being able to save your tooth becomes less and less. So, don’t wait – contact us as soon as you can.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth There are a few priorities, including calling our office to schedule an appointment and finding your tooth. If you can locate it, then submerge it in a container of milk or place it back in its socket to preserve the root. Note: if the tooth doesn’t go back into place with ease, then don’t force it!
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth We will always try to save your natural tooth. However, there are some cases where that’s not an option, like if you weren’t able to find your tooth. In that case, we will make sure your surrounding teeth and gums aren’t damaged before discussing your tooth-replacement options, like a dental bridge or implant.
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Definitely, especially since your tooth is vulnerable to damage without the restoration protecting it. That’s why we recommend scheduling an appointment with us right away, even if it is just a small filling.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to not chewing on that side of your mouth, we recommend rinsing your mouth periodically with clean, lukewarm water. This will help prevent bacteria from collecting on your tooth.
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Of course, we always have the option of providing you with a new dental filling or crown. However, there are also some cases where we can re-cement your old one back in place, like if your dental crown wasn’t damaged in the process of bringing it to our office.
Is a broken denture a dental emergency? Continuing to wear broken dentures can lead to injuries to the gums, jaws, soft tissues, and remaining teeth. Call our Richardson office when you realize that your base or artificial teeth have been damaged.
How to handle a broken denture: Never attempt to repair a denture on your own, as this can damage the appliance further. Instead, call our office so we can address the problem.
How we treat broken dentures: In some cases, we can repair broken artificial teeth with composite resin or adjust a poorly fitting base so it can sit comfortably and securely in the mouth again. However, we’ll need to replace your denture if it has sustained severe damage such as being broken in half.
Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? A loose permanent tooth or dental implant can happen due to infection or injury and is at a much greater risk of being lost. If you notice that your tooth is loose, contact our office immediately.
How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Avoid touching the tooth, chewing with it, or eating any hard or sticky foods until your emergency appointment. Clean your mouth by swishing warm water, but please refrain from brushing and flossing at this time.
How we treat loose permanent teeth: We may be able to treat a loose permanent tooth with a special device and gum disease with periodontal therapy. However, we may need to extract a tooth that is beyond saving and discuss an appropriate replacement.
Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? The gums, lips, or tongue bleeding due to oral injury can be quite alarming, and we may be able to help in minor cases. If your bleeding doesn’t stop after ten minutes, contact our office to receive guidance about what to do next.
How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Begin by gently rinsing the wound with water to remove any debris before applying pressure through a clean washcloth or gauze to reduce bleeding. You can also use an ice pack or cold compress to address discomfort and swelling.
How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: We may be able to stitch a small wound in your soft tissue closed. However, please head for the ER if the cut is especially large, if the bleeding continues after ten minutes of applied pressure, or if you suspect that the jaw is broken.
Jaw Pain
Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Jaw pain isn’t usually a dental emergency, but contact our office if the pain becomes chronic. Untreated jaw issues can lead to more serious oral health problems later.
How you should handle jaw pain: Our staff will be happy to give you guidance over the phone before your appointment. You can expect us to recommend using over-the-counter pain relievers or an ice pack to treat discomfort or swelling. Head to the ER immediately if you believe your jaw may be broken or dislocated.
How we treat jaw pain: We can treat jaw pain in several ways. For example, if your discomfort is caused by your wisdom teeth, we may recommend having them removed. If the problem is caused by bruxism, we may recommend being mindful of the habit or wearing a nightguard to bed to prevent stress and damage.
Something Stuck Between the Teeth
Having debris stuck between your teeth can be quite uncomfortable if you can’t remove it by brushing, flossing, or rinsing. Never attempt to remove anything between your teeth with sharp tools like tweezers or toothpicks. Instead, contact our office so one of our dentists can safely and gently remove the offending object.
