Emergency Dentistry FAQs

Dental emergencies include severe tooth pain, a knocked-out or broken tooth, facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, traumatic injuries to the mouth, and a lost filling or crown that leaves sensitive tooth structure exposed. Not sure if it qualifies? Call us anyway. Seeing you to rule out a problem beats waiting and risking complications.

Absolutely. Emergency dental care is available to current and new patients alike. Give our office a call and we'll do our best to see you quickly, often the same day.

Act fast. Hold the tooth by the crown, rinse it gently, and slip it back into the socket if you can. When that isn't possible, keep it moist in milk or saliva. The best chance of saving it comes when you reach our office within 30 minutes. One exception matters: a knocked-out baby tooth should never be put back in the socket, since replanting it can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath. Call us instead. Full guidance is on our first-aid page.

That depends on the crack's type, location, and severity. A crown together with root canal therapy saves many cracked teeth, though fractures reaching below the bone line may call for extraction. Dr. Brammeier will evaluate the crack and explain your options.

Bring the crown along if you managed to find it. Rinse it and put it somewhere safe, because a clean crown can occasionally go straight back on, though more often we uncover decay or a fracture underneath that has to be handled first. Household adhesives and super glue are the one thing to rule out completely. Neither belongs in the mouth, and both can put a tooth beyond restoring. The real concern is the tooth itself, now bare and reacting to heat, cold, and even a breath of air, with every day it stays that way raising the odds of decay or a fracture. Chew on the opposite side and phone us while the fix is still a small one.

Use over-the-counter pain medication as directed, swish with warm salt water, and hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek. Steer clear of hot and cold foods and beverages. Never set aspirin directly on the gum or tooth, since it can burn the tissue.

Call the office and leave a message. Tell us what happened, how long it has been going on, and where to reach you. Those three details set how fast we call back and what we have prepared before you walk in, so a thorough message genuinely gets you seen sooner. The hour does not matter and it is never an imposition. Anything life-threatening belongs at the ER or on a 911 call instead, rather than waiting to hear from us.

Nobody can price a tooth they have not examined, so we will not guess over the phone. An exam and imaging come first. With a diagnosis in hand you get a treatment plan showing your estimated out-of-pocket expense, and nothing begins until you have seen it. We accept most dental insurance and file the claim for you. Without coverage, our Wellness Membership Program and monthly payment plans through Cherry keep emergency care within reach. More detail is on our cost and insurance page.

Head to the ER for bleeding that won't stop under pressure, facial swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, a broken jaw, or trauma involving other parts of the body. For dental-specific emergencies (toothaches, broken teeth, infections), our office offers more specialized care than most ERs.