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Emergency Dentist

We Help Patients Overcome Dental Pain

Dental emergency graphic

Dr. Maria Shahdad has over a decade of experience leading the team at DFW Absolute Dental in helping patients respond to dental emergencies. Residents of Allen, Texas know they can turn to us for personalized care in a state-of-the-art facility.

Whether you have had a tooth knocked loose playing backyard football or a dental infection is causing you severe pain, we can provide the immediate and attentive care you need – often on the very same day that you give us a call!

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

Woman with dental pain

If you experience a dental emergency, you should not hesitate to pick up the phone and call our experienced and able team at DFW Absolute Dental.

What counts as a dental emergency? There are two general categories: a sudden accident or injury to the mouth, or a longer-term infection or toothache.

Both types of dental emergencies can be painful and scary – however, it is important that you do not panic. Instead, try to follow these steps below to prevent further damage and ease the pain until you can see an emergency dentist in Allen.

Toothache

Toothaches can occur for various reasons: sinus infection, a lodged object stuck between teeth or even an infection. No matter the reason, you should always start by mixing a warm mouthwash by dissolving a small spoonful of salt into hot water. By rinsing out your mouth with this solution, it will not only clean but also relieve any irritation. If an item is stuck between your teeth, use waxed dental floss to gently remove it. If you believe something more serious is causing your toothache, make sure to call our office, and we will schedule you for an appointment as soon as possible. If severe damage or infection exists, it may need to be treated with root canal therapy.

Extruded Tooth

When faced with an extruded or knocked-out tooth, you might as well start a timer. The reason for this is that your dentist will need to see you within an hour of the incident in order to try and save the tooth. During that span of 60 minutes, if your tooth is only partially dislodged (extruded), using a clean hand, try to push the tooth back into the socket. If your tooth has been knocked-out, retrieve it by the crown and rinse it off, being careful not to touch the root. Try to put it back in the socket, but if you are unsuccessful, either place it in a container of milk or next to your cheek inside your mouth to keep it moist.

Abscess

Intense pain often comes with an abscess. When an infection reaches the root of your tooth and a pus-filled pocket appears above your tooth, in your gums, you will need to seek treatment as soon as possible. An abscess that is left untreated can lead to serious oral and overall health problems. In the meantime, rinse your mouth with mild saltwater a few times a day to reduce pain and inflammation.

Soft Tissue Injury

Soft tissue injuries are just one of the many reasons you should always keep sugarless gum and gauze around your house. No matter if it’s a busted lip or bloodied tongue, these items can be placed against the injured area to stop or reduce bleeding. After some time, placing a cold compress against the area will be helpful in reducing pain and decrease swelling.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

Should you suffer from a chipped or broken tooth, use a cold compress to reduce any swelling. If you can collect any broken tooth pieces, rinse and store them in a secure container and bring them with you to our dental office. It is also helpful to place dental wax over the jagged areas of your tooth to prevent damage to your soft tissues or nearby teeth.

Lost Filling or Crown

Try to clean the crown or filling and slip it back into place over your tooth. Dental “cement”– available in most pharmacies – denture adhesive or even petroleum jelly can help hold the filling or crown in place temporarily. If your restoration is completely lost, apply dental cement directly on the surface of your tooth to protect and seal the area. This is only a temporary fix, so be sure to give us a call soon after!

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Tooth knocked loose

Practicing excellent oral hygiene at home and regularly seeing a dentist in Allen for a preventive checkup can help you avoid infections that result in dental emergencies.

However, not all dental emergencies can be prevented, especially those caused by collisions or other unpredictable accidents. To reduce the risk of these types of dental emergencies, follow these precautions:

  • Chew Carefully – Avoid chewing hard foods that can easily crack a tooth, such as popcorn kernels, hard candies or even ice cubes.
  • Protect Your Teeth – If you play contact sports, always wear a protective mouthguard.
  • Use Tools Not Teeth – Do not use your teeth to tear open packaging, even if it’s just a small bag of chips. Grab a pair of scissors instead!

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The Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

Mouth guard

The consequences of every dental emergency are different, so the treatment costs will vary depending on your unique situation. However, treating dental emergencies in the moment will always cost less than trying to fight through the pain and allowing the problem to worsen over time.

If you suffer a dental emergency, do not wait to contact our team at DFW Absolute Dental. Dr. Maria Shahdad will be able to evaluate your unique circumstances, provide an accurate price estimate and – most importantly – deliver you the care you need.

Dental Emergency FAQs

Woman with tooth pain

When you need to see the emergency dentist in Allen, you’ll want to act quickly and decisively. That means you should already have the information you need to make good decisions that could potentially save your smile. Take the time to talk to Dr. Shahdad about potential dental emergencies, how you can avoid them, and what you should do in the worst-case scenario. Below are some common dental emergency FAQs to help you start preparing.

How Do I Know If I Have a Dental Emergency?

There isn’t any one telltale sign of a dental emergency, although pain and discomfort are common symptoms. If you notice any bleeding or have a loose, broken, or missing tooth, you should contact our office immediately. (A cracked or broken tooth won’t always hurt but usually requires urgent care regardless.) Severe pain that lasts longer than one or two days should also be taken as a potential warning sign. Dr. Shahdad and the rest of our team can advise you over the phone on controlling your symptoms, and we’ll do our best to schedule an appointment for you on the same day if possible.

When Do I Need to Go to the Emergency Room?

There are some kinds of dental emergencies where you should get in touch with a hospital emergency room as soon as possible. For example, if your jaw has been fractured, it could be part of a life-threatening head injury; in this situation, you should call the emergency room. For missing teeth and other emergencies that aren’t as severe but still require urgent care, you should make an appointment at DFW Absolute Dental. We have the training, experience, and technology needed to repair your teeth and prevent the damage from getting worse over time.

Is It an Emergency If My Child Knocks Out a Baby Tooth?

If a baby tooth is knocked out, you should save it and get to our office right away. Dr. Shahdad can check to see whether the entire tooth or just part of it has fallen out. Sometimes it’s safe to treat the tooth as if it fell out naturally, but in other cases we’ll need to take extra steps to make sure your little one’s oral development continues normally. For example, we might need to use a spacer to prevent the rest of their teeth from drifting into the gap so that there’s enough room for the adult tooth to safely erupt.

Will I Need to Have a Tooth Removed?

Extracting a tooth is always a last resort; our goal is to let you preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible. However, there are times when removal is the only choice, such as when an infection in the tooth has already grown too severe or when the tooth is too badly damaged to be repaired by a crown. We’ll use an appropriate form of sedation dentistry to keep you comfortable during the process, and we can help you find an effective replacement, such as a dental implant.