Emergency Dentist — Richardson, TX

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency?  When a tooth is chipped, it’s generally not urgent to get to our office unless the chip is severe or you experience a lot of pain. You should still call our office to set up an appointment as chipped teeth can easily damage oral tissue or break further without professional treatment.

How you should handle a chipped tooth: Find any and all pieces of your tooth that you can and bring them with you to our office. Use a cold compress to relieve any swelling by applying it to your cheek for 10 minutes at a time. Then, remove for an additional 10 minutes. Do this for up to one hour.

How we treat chipped teeth: We can fix most cases of chipped teeth with direct bonding, but severe cases may be better addressed with a veneer. This option is more ideal for chipped teeth that make up your visible smile.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? When minor damage is present, it’s not usually a dental emergency. With that said, severe damage needs to be treated immediately as the risk of the tooth fracturing further or developing an infection is much higher. You should also call if you notice sensitivity, pain, or issues when biting down, especially if an oral injury just occurred. You should always call if a tooth cracks as not all cracks are visible to the naked eye, meaning you could have damage without realizing it.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: Take painkillers as needed and use a cold compress to relieve any discomfort or swelling for 10 minutes. Remove for an additional 10 minutes, then repeat this process for up to one hour.

How we treat cracked teeth: When damage is minimal, direct bonding is typically enough to prevent future cracks. However, severe damage will likely need to be treated with a dental crown. If the tooth cannot be saved, an extraction may be performed.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? Tooth sensitivity is a sign that the outer layers of your enamel are wearing down or that your tooth’s roots are starting to become exposed. There are many potential causes to these side effects, including overuse of teeth whitening products, brushing or flossing too hard, eating too many acidic foods, teeth grinding, and others. However, it’s mainly considered an emergency if the sensitivity is severe or long-lasting, a toothache develops, or if you notice problems in just one or two teeth specific teeth.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: You should start by calling our office so we can learn more about your symptoms and get you scheduled for an exam. You may be able to relieve symptoms with certain lifestyle changes, such as using a different toothpaste. Drinking plenty of lukewarm water and keeping your mouth clean can also help, as well as avoiding spicy, acidic, or sweet foods and drinks. Take over-the-counter painkillers as needed.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: The cause of your sensitivity will directly influence what treatment we recommend. For example, eroded enamel can be addressed with desensitizing toothpastes, prescription mouthwashes, or a topical fluoride treatment from our office. However, more complex issues like infections (either in the gums or teeth) can require the use of antibiotics, gum therapy, or root canals.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? If your tooth has been knocked out, it’s important that you act quickly. Call our office and schedule an emergency appointment as soon as possible. The sooner you get to our practice for care, the more likely you’ll be able to save the tooth and avoid the need for a replacement.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Start by finding the tooth and picking it up by the top (crown) portion only. Avoid touching the root or any tissue that is attached. Place the tooth in a container of milk or saliva if milk is not available to you. You can also use saline solution, saltwater, or an ADA-approved tooth preservation kit.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: Sometimes teeth can be reimplanted if you get to our office quickly enough. However, the chances of the tooth being viable dramatically drops after it spends more than one hour outside of the mouth. If the tooth cannot be saved, we will instead recommend your options for tooth replacement. This can include dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Dental restorations are designed to last a long time, but they won’t last forever. This means they can break or fall off if they are very old. While it’s not a dental emergency when a filling or crown comes off, it can put your tooth at greater risk of infection or decay. For that reason, you should still call our office to schedule an appointment.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: Try to find the filling or crown and bring it to our office for closer examination. A dental filling should not be placed back into a tooth if it comes out, but a dental crown may be reseated with dental cement to cover the exposed tooth temporarily. However, this should not be considered a permanent solution.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: Dental fillings will likely need to be replaced outright, especially if they are over 10 years old. With that said, dental crowns could be reseated by our office if they are not too damaged. Otherwise, the crown would need to be replaced as well.

Broken Dentures

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency?

Definitely! If your denture gets broken, you’ll find it difficult to eat without discomfort. In fact, a broken denture can harm any remaining teeth or your soft tissues, so it’s important to fix the problem right away.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture

Do not try to continue wearing the broken denture. Give our office a call to schedule an immediate appointment so that we can give you back your freedom and your confidence.

How We Treat Broken Dentures

In office, we have the capability to make small adjustments to dentures if necessary, but if the denture has been significantly damaged, we will need to replace it entirely. That way, your prosthetic teeth are sure to feel as natural and strong as possible.

Loose Permanent Tooth 

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency?

After your permanent teeth have erupted, they shouldn’t feel loose. If they do, it’s a sure sign of trouble. Often, this occurs because of trauma or because of advanced periodontal disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults worldwide. As a result, you should contact us immediately.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth

Try to not disturb the tooth and avoid eating hard or sticky foods that could cause the tooth to come out completely. Keep in mind that we will do everything we can to save your permanent tooth, but extraction may be necessary for the overall good of your smile.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth

If you have had dental trauma, we may be able to rescue the tooth with a splint, which holds the tooth in place by attaching it to healthy teeth surrounding it. In the case of gum disease, we can perform therapies to get rid of the infection, but again remember that we may need to extract the tooth and start over with replacements.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue 

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency?

It depends on how badly injured these tissues are. Kids especially are prone to accidentally biting their lips or tongue, and athletes may receive a hit to the face. Soft tissues tend to heal quickly, but they can also impact your teeth or other oral structures, so it may still be a good idea to have your injury checked out.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Your first priority should be stopping any bleeding. Normally, bleeding should stop in under 10 minutes. If the injury continues bleeding after that point, you should go to the emergency room. Otherwise, contact our office to be checked out by Dr. Azmoodeh just to be sure that nothing else is wrong.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

After examining your mouth, if we find anything amiss, we’ll address the issue. Otherwise, we will tell you to keep a close eye on your injury as it heals to watch out for signs of infection.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency?

Most of the time, not really. It is estimated that around 12 percent of people experience difficulty with their jaw joint. If the condition gets worse or makes everyday functions too painful, then it may be considered a dental emergency.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain

At home, you can utilize hot and cold therapies on the jaw joint to help loosen and soothe the muscles. You can also take over-the-counter relievers to address your pain. If, however, your condition worsens or persists beyond several days, you may want to schedule an appointment with us.

How We Treat Jaw Pain

Your treatment will greatly vary based on the cause of the problem. If your jaw pain is the result of clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep, then we can provide a custom nightguard. Or, if your bite is misaligned, we correct it through orthodontic treatment.