Emergency Dentist – Phoenix, AZ

Need Help? It’s Here!

Emergency dentist in Phoenix treating a dental patient Man in gray polo shirt holding his cheek in pain

The very nature of a dental emergency is that it seems to come out of nowhere, meaning it’s impossible to plan for. Thankfully, the only “plan” required when you need an emergency dentist in Phoenix has one step: call Dr. Rodda at Complete Dental Care. He has extensive experience fielding dental emergencies, and our team works hard to see patients in pain as quickly as possible. From toothaches to knocked-out teeth and more, when you need help without delay, you can trust we’ll be here for you.

Why Choose Complete Dental Care for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Emergency Dental Appointments Available
  • Multiple Dental Sedation Options
  • Fast & Precise Relief Thanks to Advanced Technology

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

We recommend that you give us a call if you even think you’re dealing with a dental emergency. After we learn about your situation over the phone, we’ll schedule you for an appointment as soon as possible. Once you arrive, we’ll…

  • Perform an exam to determine the source and extent of your emergency.
  • Relieve your immediate pain.
  • Go over our findings with you.
  • Present your treatment options and discuss the associated costs.
  • Follow through on the agreed-upon treatment plan to fix your problem.
  • Schedule additional appointments as needed for further repairs.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

The term “dental emergency” can be accurately applied to a wide variety of situations and problems, and here is a collection of the most common ones we see in our dental office:

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? It’s a possibility. The general rule-of-thumb is to schedule an appointment if your toothache has persisted for more than 24 hours. However, you should get in touch sooner if you’re experiencing other abnormal dental symptoms as well, such as a pimple-like bump on your gums.

How You Should Handle a Toothache One of the best first steps is calling our Phoenix dental office. That way, we can schedule a time for you to come in for an exam (possibly even the same day). You should also steer clear of spicy, acidic, and sugary foods, continue to implement a solid oral hygiene regimen, and take an OTC pain reliever as needed.

How We Treat Toothaches There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. If your toothache is the result of a large crack, then intervening with a dental crown may be the best option. If an infection has developed, then we may need to conduct a root canal first. It completely depends on your unique dental needs!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not usually. With that said, there are some exceptions, like if you’re in pain. Otherwise, you can simply call our Phoenix dental team to schedule an appointment before the end of the week.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Since you don’t want the tooth to chip further, avoid using it to chew. It’s also very common for patients with a chipped tooth to experience heightened dental sensitivity, which is why we recommend avoiding hot coffee, ice cream, and the like.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Veneers are one of the most common treatments for chipped teeth! Not only do they come in a wide range of lifelike shades, but the results have the potential to last for 10 years or more.

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, it is! After all, a cracked tooth poses numerous risks, including the fact that your tooth can break even further. Remember, small breaks might be harder to detect, so keep an eye out for common symptoms, like pain when biting down. This will allow our Phoenix dentist to intervene before additional damage occurs.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth As you might have guessed, you shouldn’t eat anything, especially crunchy, hard, and sticky foods. Additionally, you should periodically rinse with clean, room-temperature water; this will help keep the area around your tooth clean. If you’re in pain, then you can also take an OTC pain reliever as a short-term solution.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Sometimes, a cracked tooth can be protected with a dental crown, restoring its look and function. Otherwise, something more extensive is needed, like a tooth extraction and dental implant. Of course, we will discuss all of your treatment options at length during your appointment so you can confidently decide what’s best for you and your oral health.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? In most cases, tooth sensitivity isn’t a dental emergency. However, it could be a sign of a bigger issue that needs to be addressed. If your sensitivity is new, worsening, or sharp, you should have it looked at.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: To reduce discomfort, you may want to avoid foods that are particularly hot, cold, spicy, acidic, and sugary. You should also maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine and drink plenty of water. If needed, over-the-counter pain relievers can help to reduce discomfort.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: Before we can treat your sensitivity, we need to find out the cause. We will start by examining your smile, then we may recommend specialized dental products, prescription toothpaste, or a dental filling. Other treatment options include a nightguard for bruxism, gum disease treatment, or root canal treatment.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy

Learn More About Root Canal Therapy

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes! A knocked-out tooth is an urgent dental emergency that needs to be taken care of right away. For any chance of saving the tooth, you need to see a dentist immediately.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: If you can, find your tooth. Rinse it with warm water, then try to return it to its socket. Your tooth must remain moist. If you are unable to get it back into the socket, put it in a container of milk or saliva instead. You shouldn’t use water, as this can result in additional damage.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If you are able to see us quickly, we will do what we can to reimplant the tooth. Your dentist will do this by carefully repositioning it in the socket and splinting it to the neighboring teeth. This way, it will remain stationary so it can heal. If we can’t save your tooth, we will discuss tooth replacement options.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? You may not need to drop everything and rush to the dental office. However, you should have this addressed relatively quickly. Even if it isn’t painful, your tooth is being left vulnerable to additional damage. Fillings and crowns are made to last a long time, but they eventually need to be replaced.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: If you can, try to find your lost restoration and rinse it with water. Then, put it back into its place using dental wax. You should avoid chewing on the side of your mouth where you lost your restoration.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: If your restoration is still in good shape, we might be able to place it back. However, we will also take the time to figure out why it came out in the first place. This way, we can prevent it from happening again. If needed, we can provide you with a new filling or crown.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? Broken dentures aren’t necessarily an urgent situation, but you’ll need to get them fixed sooner rather than later. Not only do you rely on your prosthetics to eat, talk, and smile daily, but wearing a damaged one can put your soft oral tissues at risk of injury. To avoid this, it’s best to visit your dentist right away.

How to handle a broken denture: Avoid wearing the broken or damaged denture. Also, refrain from trying to repair it on your own with super glue or other household items. This can end up making you sick and accidentally cause more damage. Instead, notify our team so we can understand your situation.

How we treat broken dentures: Depending on the complexity of the damage, we might either readjust/fix your current dentures or replace them with new ones. We might also review alternative solutions for rebuilding your missing teeth, such as dental implants.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? None of your teeth should ever feel loose. If you notice that one is, you’ll want to get emergency dentistry treatment right away for the best chance of preserving it. Call our office and we’ll do everything we can to fix the situation.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Once you’ve notified our team of your loose tooth, make sure to avoid touching the area with your tongue or fingers, and avoid chewing on anything hard or sticky. Don't chew on that side of your mouth altogether. Instead of brushing and flossing to clean your smile, gently rinse your mouth with warm water (preferably salt water).

How we treat loose permanent teeth: If possible, we can try splinting the loose tooth to a nearby healthy one for support while it heals. We can also perform gum disease treatment or offer custom mouthguards to help prevent this from happening again. If we can’t save your tooth, we’ll need to extract it and consider your tooth replacement options, such as dental implants.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? Cuts or lesions to your mouth can sometimes be surprising and unsettling, especially if you notice bleeding. Simply give our team a call if you think your smile is also injured, and we’ll be happy to help you.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Be sure to rinse the area with water so that you can remove any debris and bacteria. Try applying pressure with a clean washcloth to control any bleeding. You can also use a cold compress to reduce discomfort and swelling.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: Small cuts or wounds can often be sutured closed. If you aren’t able to control the bleeding, however, make sure to go straight to your local ER first.

Learn More About Sports Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Jaw pain or discomfort can occur for multiple reasons, and it isn’t always considered an urgent situation. Still, since this can impact your daily life, you’ll want to get it treated sooner rather than later. Give our team a call, and we’ll be happy to help.

How you should handle jaw pain: You can typically use over-the-counter pain medications to alleviate discomfort while you wait to get treatment. However, if you suspect your jaw is dislocated or broken, then you’ll need to go to the nearest ER right away for help. Our team can help treat any dental issues afterward.

How we treat jaw pain: If your jaw pain is due to nightly teeth grinding/clenching, then we can provide you with custom nightguards for bruxism. Wisdom teeth that are impacted and causing constant discomfort can also be extracted.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Make sure never to use sharp objects like forks, toothpicks, and tweezers to remove an object stuck between your teeth. Doing so can potentially lead to damage to your teeth, gums, and other soft oral tissues—or you might even push the debris further in. Instead, try rinsing your mouth to weaken the object and floss around the area to help dislodge it. If this doesn’t work, come visit our team for help.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Dental team member talking to patient about the cost of emergency dentistry in Phoenix

When it comes to a dental emergency, getting treatment right away will ALWAYS cost you less in the long run compared to waiting. That’s because delaying treatment will only allow a dental problem to become worse, meaning it will require more extensive and expensive care. Acting fast is in the best interest of your health and wallet. Our team will also discuss how we can use your dental insurance and/or our in-house savings plan to make sure your treatment is easily affordable.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Woman smiling while flossing her teeth

A little bit of prevention goes a long way when it comes to avoiding a trip to the emergency dentist near Paradise Valley:

  • Always wear a mouthguard when playing sports
  • Don’t use your teeth as tools to open things
  • Avoid chewing on ice or other extremely hard items
  • Brush twice a day and floss once a day to stop cavities from forming
  • Contact our dental office as soon as you start experiencing lingering mouth pain

Dental Emergency FAQs

Woman with toothache at dentist's office in Phoenix

So far, we’ve reviewed briefly how we handle dental emergencies, factors that impact the cost, and how to protect your smile from harm. If you want to learn more on the topic – whether it’s about where to turn for help or how to manage your discomfort in the meantime – then you can read on for the answers to FAQs about emergency dentistry! If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for below, you’re also welcome to give our team a call.

Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?

Since the ER doesn’t usually have a dentist on-staff, the answer is typically “no.” However, there is an important exception: if you are experiencing any potentially life-threatening symptoms. Bleeding that continues after 10 minutes, difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, and a fractured jaw are a few examples of conditions that require immediate medical attention. After you’ve received the necessary treatment at the hospital and been discharged, you can call our Phoenix emergency dentist to schedule a same-day appointment to restore the look and function of your smile too.

How should I sleep with tooth pain?

We need to start this section by saying that the only way to get the long-term relief you need is by visiting us for the necessary restorative care. If, however, your appointment isn’t for another day or two, then you can use the following tips to help you sleep soundly:

  • Don’t eat anything spicy, hard, or sugary for dinner.
  • Take OTC pain medication about 30 minutes before bed.
  • Place a cold compress against the outside of your cheek in 10-minute intervals.
  • Prop up a few pillows so you can keep your head elevated while you sleep.

Do chipped teeth heal?

Unfortunately, the answer is “no.” To prevent your tooth from breaking further or, perhaps worse, from developing an infection, we recommend scheduling an appointment with us. Even if you aren’t in pain, this ensures that we can restore your tooth before you are!

Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?

No, you shouldn’t place a knocked-out tooth in water. The best way to preserve the root is by submerging your tooth in a clean container of milk or placing it back in its socket (but only if it slides back into position without any force). It’s also important that you pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root, when transporting it.

Is my tooth pain from an infection?

Persistent tooth pain could be the result of several issues – from chronic teeth grinding and impacted wisdom teeth to TMJ dysfunction and a serious infection. That’s why we strongly recommend calling our Phoenix dental team when the discomfort first arises. The sooner you do, the sooner we can pinpoint what’s causing your pain and put a plan in place to alleviate it!

Can I pop a dental abscess on my own?

If you have a pimple-like bump on your gums, do not attempt to pop it at home. This dental infection necessitates professional treatment, and trying to handle it by yourself will only lead to further issues, like bacteria spreading to your neck and throat. So, call our office – we’ll walk you through what to do from there.