Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Tulsa
Tulsa, OK
Emergency dentist in Tulsa
If a tooth is broken, knocked out, or keeping you awake, call the office. Do not wait for a routine slot.
Call (918) 205-7458 as soon as you can. Dental emergencies get worse quickly and most of them are far easier to treat on the first day than on the fourth.
What counts as an emergency
Severe or constant tooth pain, particularly pain that wakes you at night, is the most common reason people call. It usually means the nerve inside the tooth is involved, and it does not resolve on its own.
Facial swelling is the one to take most seriously. Swelling in the jaw, cheek, or under the eye means infection is spreading beyond the tooth, and it needs to be seen the same day. If swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room rather than waiting for a dental appointment.
A knocked out adult tooth is time critical. Pick it up by the crown rather than the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and if you can, put it back in the socket and hold it there. If you cannot, keep it in milk and get to the office immediately. The chance of saving it drops sharply after the first hour.
A cracked or broken tooth, a lost crown or filling, and a dental abscess all need to be seen promptly, though not always within the hour.
What to do while you wait
For pain, over the counter pain relief taken as directed on the packet helps most people. Do not hold aspirin against the gum, which burns the tissue. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek reduces swelling.
If a crown has come off and the tooth is not painful, keep the crown and bring it with you. Often it can be recemented. Avoid chewing on that side, and if a tooth is cracked, keep to soft food so the crack does not extend.
Not sure where to startCall and describe what is going on.
Call (918) 205-7458When you get here
The first job is getting you out of pain and finding out what is actually going on, which usually needs an X-ray. Once the problem is clear, we deal with the urgent part, and treatment that can wait gets planned properly rather than rushed while you are uncomfortable.
Because oral surgery and sedation are handled in this office, an emergency that turns out to need an extraction can usually be dealt with here rather than referred on. If you are anxious, say so when you call, and nitrous gas can be ready.
Cost and insurance in an emergency
An emergency appointment is normally billed as an exam plus whatever X-ray is needed to see what is going on, and then the treatment itself is quoted separately once the problem is clear. That order matters: you will not be committed to a treatment plan while you are in pain and cannot think straight.
Most dental plans cover emergency exams and palliative treatment, meaning the work done to get you out of pain, even where they would make you wait for other treatment. If you are not insured you will be told the cost of getting comfortable before anything starts, and the rest can be planned afterwards.
Do not let uncertainty about cost keep you from calling. A tooth seen on day one is almost always cheaper than the same tooth on day five, and dental infections do not wait for a convenient moment.
Reducing the odds of a next time
Most dental emergencies are not accidents. They are problems that were developing for months and finally gave way, which is why the tooth that breaks is so often one with a large old filling in it.
The three things that prevent most of them are keeping your checkups, so cracks and failing fillings are caught while they are still small, crowning teeth that have been recommended for a crown rather than waiting for them to fracture, and wearing a night guard if you grind.
If you play contact sport, or your children do, a custom mouthguard is worth the appointment. The shop bought ones are better than nothing but they fit poorly, get spat out, and do not absorb impact the same way. We make custom guards here.
Common questions
The questions patients ask us most about this treatment, answered plainly.
What should I do if my tooth is knocked out
Handle it by the crown and not the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and try to place it back into the socket and hold it there. If that is not possible, keep it in milk and get to the office immediately. Time matters, and the odds of saving it fall sharply after the first hour.
Should I go to the emergency room for a dental problem
Go to an emergency room if swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, if there is significant facial trauma, or if bleeding will not stop. For tooth pain, broken teeth, and lost crowns, a dental office is the right place because a hospital can generally only manage pain and infection rather than treat the tooth.
I have not been to a dentist in years and I am embarrassed
Come in anyway. Nobody here is going to lecture you. We deal with what hurts first and then talk about the rest in whatever order works for you.
Book your appointment today
Call the office and we will find you a time that works.