Prompt Emergency Dental Care When You Need It Most

Dental emergencies are more common than you might think! At some point, most of us will have to deal with a toothache, broken tooth, lost crown, or other urgent dental situation. Knowing what to do in a dental emergency and acting promptly gives you peace of mind and the best chance for a positive long-term outcome. Dr. Zhang is an experienced emergency dentist with the expertise to handle your urgent needs, and when you call us for emergency dentistry, he will prioritize your treatment. Give us a call and speak to a dental team member so we can arrange to see you as soon as possible! In the meantime, you can review the information below to learn more about emergency dentistry in Tustin.

Why Choose Zhang Dental Group of Tustin for Emergency Dental Care?

• Same-Day Emergency Appointments
• Advanced Dental Technology
• Insurance-Friendly Dental Practice

What to Do in a Dental Emergency

• Contact our office. The sooner you give us a call, the better chance Dr. Zhang has to restore your smile. We'll be able to pencil you in at your earliest convenience, likely that very same day. Over the phone, an experienced team member will provide first-aid instructions to help you manage your situation until you make it to our office.
• Have an emergency exam. When you get to our office, Dr. Zhang will conduct a detailed oral examination to identify the cause of your emergency. Using his findings, he'll create a custom treatment plan to get your oral health back on the right track.
• Get the care you need. Dr. Zhang might be able to temporarily address your emergency during your appointment. However, you may have to return for additional treatment. Some common services include fillings, dental crowns, root canal therapy, and gum disease treatment.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies are disruptive and annoying and can put your oral health in serious jeopardy if not treated promptly. If you have a toothache, lost crown or filling, broken tooth, or any other urgent situation mentioned below, call our emergency dentist in Tustin for prompt pain relief. While you wait for your appointment, feel free to review the following information to manage your situation at home.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? It's important not to quickly dismiss a toothache. Instead, closely monitor your symptoms and reach out to us ASAP if your pain persists. It's also important that you contact us right away if you're experiencing other warning signs of dental trouble, like pain when biting down.

How You Should Handle a Toothache: Rinse your mouth periodically with warm saltwater to help prevent an infection. Additionally, avoid crunchy, acidic, and sugary foods, take OTC pain medication as directed, and get an exam with our Tustin emergency dentist, Dr. Zhang, on the calendar.

How We Treat Toothaches: When you arrive at our office for your appointment, Dr. Zhang will ask you a few questions about your symptoms before completing a comprehensive exam. Then, he will review his findings with you and share his recommendations, like addressing a cavity with a tooth-colored filling.

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Although a same-day visit may not be necessary, a chipped tooth does warrant a call to our Tustin dental office. Over the phone, we will learn more about your situation and determine how urgent it is. In both cases, we will give you helpful tips on what to do until your appointment.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: First, rinse your mouth with clean, lukewarm water to remove any lingering shards of your tooth from your mouth. Second, use some sugar-free gum to cover your tooth, protecting your gums, lips, and tongue in the process. Third, get to our office as soon as you can for the necessary care.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth: There are several ways we can restore the look and function of a chipped tooth, and veneers are one of the most popular. Not only can they fix even large chips, but they can last for a decade or more if you take good care of your smile.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, if you see a crack – even a small one – on your tooth, you should contact us ASAP to schedule an exam. We also recommend coming in if you can't see any damage but you're experiencing common symptoms associated with this dental injury, like persistent sensitivity.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: There are a few steps we recommend taking, including avoiding crunchy, hard, and sticky foods entirely. In fact, it's a good idea to not chew on that side of your mouth at all. Instead, do what you can to keep your mouth clean, like rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth: How we treat a cracked tooth depends largely on one thing: the extent of the damage. If the crack is relatively minor, then the solution may be a dental crown. If the crack is more extensive, then our only option may be extracting it and replacing it with a dental bridge or implant.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Tooth sensitivity can be unsettling and uncomfortable, but it doesn't always point to an urgent dental issue. It could be a cavity that has started to delve deeper into a tooth, or it could simply be thinning enamel over time.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Pay attention to your symptoms and the circumstances surrounding them. Do you experience sensitivity when you eat or drink something cold, hot, or sugary? Is your sensitivity getting worse? If it ever progresses or keeps you from functioning regularly, it's time to give us a call. Otherwise, you probably can wait to discuss your concerns with us until your next checkup and cleaning appointment within six months.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: Depending on the underlying issue, we can recommend several treatments. If you have a cavity, we will remove the decay and restore the tooth. In more serious cases, we may recommend root canal treatment to remove the tooth's nerve as well as the infected structure. In situations where there is no cavity, just enamel wear, we can offer fluoride treatments and recommend toothpastes formulated for sensitivity.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? We don't want you to endure having an incomplete smile any longer than necessary. A knocked-out tooth is one of the most urgent dental emergencies that could happen because you have a short time in which the tooth can be successfully re-implanted. As a result, it's important to contact our office immediately after the injury and come to our office as soon as you can, preferably within an hour for the best chances of saving your natural tooth.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: After calling us up for an emergency appointment, hold the tooth by the crown—do not touch the root structure or any tissue that may still be attached. Gently rinse the tooth off in clean water, and then try to place it back in the socket. Once you have it in position, carefully bite down. If this isn't possible, you can put the tooth between your gums and cheek or keep it in a container of milk to moisten it.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: If you haven't done so prior to arriving, we will reposition the tooth in the socket. We will likely then use an appliance called a splint to hold the tooth there until the connective tissues reattach. If we are unable to rescue the natural tooth, we will discuss your replacement options, such as a bridge or dental implant.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Unfortunately, most dental work doesn't last forever. A filling or crown can wear down with years of use. If your restoration comes off the tooth, you should consider it a dental emergency because your tooth becomes exposed and vulnerable to bacterial decay without the filling or crown to protect it. Leaving your tooth could result in cavities, dental pain, and a more expensive fix.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: If the restoration isn't damaged, rinse it gently with clean water, put a dab of toothpaste on it, and put it back onto the tooth. This should hold the filling or crown there temporarily. With a damaged restoration, cover the tooth with sugar-free gum to shield it from oral bacteria.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: In most cases, fillings or crowns that have come off the tooth are either old or damaged enough that they need to be replaced with a new one. If, however, yours is still relatively new and in good shape, we may be able to reattach it.

Broken Denture

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Broken dentures are considered dental emergencies since they impact your ability to communicate, smile, and chew. So, you shouldn't hesitate to schedule an appointment with our Tustin dental team, even if the damage seems relatively minor.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: First, give us a call so we can determine if a same-day visit to our office is necessary. Between then and your appointment, do what you can to protect your restoration from further harm and, if you get hungry, stick to soft foods like applesauce.

How We Treat Broken Dentures: Sometimes, broken dentures can be repaired at our office. Other times, we only have one option: having your restoration replaced with a new one (which is a great time to upgrade to dental implants!).

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely. In fact, you should contact us ASAP since there's a chance that the tooth can fall out completely, and we want to intervene with the necessary care before that happens.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: Let's start with the obvious: don't chew on that side of your mouth, especially crunchy foods like popcorn. You should instead take proactive measures to protect your tooth from further harm, like gently rinsing with clean, lukewarm water periodically.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Our recommendation will depend largely on one thing: if we can save your tooth. If we can, then we will do that. If we can't, then we will numb your mouth, extract the tooth, and replace it with a dental bridge or implant.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Since soft tissue injuries can usually be handled at home, the answer is "no." That said, there are some exceptions, like if the cut continues to bleed after 10 minutes of applying pressure.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: First, rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean, cool water so you can clearly see where the wound is. Then, apply pressure with a damp washcloth or gauze. Lastly, put a cold compress on the area to alleviate swelling.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: If your gums, lips, or tongue continues to bleed – even after applying pressure for 10 minutes – then you should call 911 or head to the ER.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Since your jaw pain could be the result of an underlying oral health problem, it's important that you don't ignore it. That said, it may not require same-day care; it depends largely on how severe your symptoms are.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: To alleviate your discomfort until your appointment, try using a cold compress, avoiding hard, sticky, and crunchy foods, and taking OTC pain medication as directed on the label.

How We Treat Jaw Pain: To determine the answer, we need to first conduct a comprehensive oral exam. Then, we can determine what restorative treatment (or treatments) is needed to restore your pain-free smile.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

If you have something lodged between your teeth, dissolve some salt in warm water and rinse with the mixture. Then, use your floss of choice to gently remove the debris. If that doesn't work, give us a call. Do NOT try to use tweezers or something else sharp instead.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Every case is unique, which means the cost of emergency dentistry in Tustin will vary depending on the details of your situation. Maybe you'll need dental sedation, require multiple treatments, or have dental insurance. We'll look at your emergency from every possible angle to provide the most accurate quote. During your consultation, we'll conduct an oral examination and thoroughly explain the pricing information to ensure you know what to expect.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Unfortunately, you can't avoid every dental emergency. Some of them happen due to accidental physical injury, while others are the result of unchecked infection. Luckily, there are many ways to significantly lower your risk of experiencing one. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Visit your dentist regularly for checkups and cleaning
• Practice good oral hygiene
• Maintain a healthy diet
• Don't use your teeth as tools
• Wear a protective nightguard if you grind your teeth
• Protect your teeth during contact sports