Emergency Dentist — Mission Viejo, CA

Toothaches

Is my toothache a dental emergency? A toothache can have many causes. However, the most common reason is tooth decay. If you experience any of the following symptoms, contact your emergency dentist in Mission Viejo right away for treatment:

• Extreme discomfort that lasts more than a day
• Sharp pain when biting down
• Dental sensitivity that lasts over 30 seconds
• A small bump has developed on the gums near the painful tooth
• Signs of a serious infection (i.e., swelling, fever, fatigue)

How you should handle a toothache: Use dental floss to remove potential food debris from between your teeth as this can be a common cause of tooth pain. Take an over-the-counter painkiller like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to reduce discomfort. Use a cold compress to reduce any potential swelling.

How we treat toothaches: Our team will need to identify the cause of your toothache to determine an effective treatment method. Depending on your situation, we may recommend services like fillings, dental crowns, root canal therapy, gum disease treatment, nightguards, and tooth extractions.

Chipped Tooth

Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Not always, but you should still visit your dentist as soon as possible. Leaving a small chip untreated can cause your damage to become worse, eventually leading to further complications. That’s why you should seek treatment right away!

How you should handle a chipped tooth: Collect any pieces of the tooth you can and bring them with you to our office. To curb potential swelling, you can hold an ice pack to the appropriate cheek. If the tooth has any sharp edges, apply dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum to keep them from irritating the soft tissues in your mouth.

How we treat chipped teeth: Usually, a chipped tooth can easily be fixed with tooth-colored composite resin. However, you may want to consider getting a veneer if you’ve damaged a highly visible tooth like a front tooth.

Cracked Tooth

Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? Absolutely! Even a tiny crack in the enamel can leave your tooth at risk of infection and further damage. Since these cracks aren’t always easy to see, you should schedule an emergency appointment as soon as possible, especially if you’re feeling pain or sensitivity after sustaining a blow to the face.

How you should handle a cracked tooth: Carefully rinse your mouth with warm water to wash away lingering bacteria. If needed, you can apply a cold compress or take an over-the-counter pain reliever to ease your discomfort. While you wait for your appointment, avoid eating and chewing with the injured side of your mouth.

How we treat cracked teeth: In most cases, we address cracked teeth with a custom-made dental crown. However, we may be able to simply use composite resin if the damage is minor. On the other hand, a tooth that is damaged beyond repair might benefit from an extraction.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? While your teeth may occasionally feel sensitive to hot or cold temperatures, you should not experience anything that distracts from your daily activities. If you start experiencing lingering or sharp tooth sensitivity, make sure to notify our team right away for help.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: After you’ve contacted us and scheduled an appointment, be careful not to chew or eat anything especially hot, cold, acidic, sugary, or spicy. Keep good oral hygiene and stay hydrated with water. If it’s necessary, take over-the-counter painkillers to minimize discomfort.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: Our team will evaluate your mouth to find the root of your dental sensitivity so that we can determine the best approach to fixing it. Some of our solutions may include fluoride treatment, tooth-colored fillings, or nightguards for bruxism. For more complex situations, we might offer services like gum disease treatment and root canal therapy.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Getting a tooth knocked out is a serious situation and will need to be fixed as soon as possible. For it to be viable for reattachment, you’ll need to get it treated within 30-60 minutes of the incident. Call our office right away if this happens for the best chance of saving your tooth.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Notify our team immediately after the incident so we can schedule an appointment for you. Find your tooth and pick it up by the crown (top side), never the roots, as this can damage them. Gently rinse it with water but don’t use soap or scrub off any remaining tissue. If it’s still intact, place the tooth back in its socket to keep it moist. If this isn’t possible, then store it in a container of saline solution or milk. Do NOT put it in water, as the particles can damage the surface cells of the roots.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: Once you arrive at our office, our team will work fast to reimplant your tooth by splinting it to an adjacent one while it heals. If we aren’t able to save your tooth, then we’ll walk you through your tooth replacement treatments, including a dental bridge, dentures, or dental implant.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Though dental fillings and crowns are designed to last a long time, they’ll still need to be replaced at some point. If you end up losing one of your restorations, you’ll simply want to notify us and schedule an appointment. Leaving it unaddressed may increase the risk of bacteria, decay, or further damage.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: If you’re able to find your filling or crown, pick it up and rinse any debris and bacteria off with water. You can also try to put it back on with either dental wax or sugar-free gum for a temporary fix. If not, store it in a sealable container and bring it with you to our office. Until you arrive, drink lots of water and refrain from chewing in that area of your mouth.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: Our team will determine if we can effectively replace your restoration should we find that it’s in good condition. We’ll also want to address any underlying issues that may have caused it to fall out altogether. If we can’t fix it, then we can simply provide you with a new one.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? A broken denture isn’t life-threatening, but it’ll need to be addressed sooner rather than later. Wearing one that is damaged can simply cause more harm to your gums and other soft oral tissues in the long run, so it’s best to visit your dentist for help at the earliest time.

How to handle a broken denture: Rinse off your prosthetic teeth to remove any debris and bacteria. You’ll want to make sure your denture remains clean and moist in case we’re able to repair it. Allowing it to dry up can cause it to warp and become ill-fitting.

How we treat broken dentures: Our team will assess compromised dentures and determine how best to repair them. If the damage is minor, we may be able to fix the issue with composite resin. If it’s beyond fixing, then we’ll simply work on providing you with new ones.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Your pearly whites should never feel like they’re about to come out of their sockets. If you’ve noticed that one of your teeth is loose, make sure to notify your emergency dentist right away for help. The last thing you’ll want is to lose the tooth and require more costly treatment to replace it.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: After notifying our team about your situation and scheduling an emergency visit, make sure to avoid disturbing the tooth by touching it with your tongue or fingers. Gently rinse your mouth and don’t swish water around. If you must eat, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth until you arrive at our office for treatment.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: If the damage is mild, our team can try to splint a loose tooth to a nearby healthy one to give it time to heal. We’ll also want to address any underlying problems that may have caused the problem, such as gum disease. We can even provide custom mouthguards to protect your teeth from physical impacts. However, if saving the tooth isn’t viable, then we’ll need to extract it as a last resort. We’ll then discuss options for replacing it, such as a dental implant.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? These types of injuries can usually be treated with simple at-home remedies. But if you suspect a tooth has been injured as well, then our emergency dentist will want to help preserve your smile. If you experience a more serious laceration in the mouth and/or there’s excessive bleeding, visit your local ER right away.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Rinse your mouth with water to remove dirt, debris, and bacteria. Use a clean washcloth or gauze to dab the area to help control any bleeding. You can also take over-the-counter painkillers to relieve discomfort and apply a cold compress to reduce swelling. If you can’t control the bleeding, go straight to the emergency room first. We’ll help treat your smile afterward.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: In many cases, we can simply suture your soft oral tissues to fix the issue if necessary. We can also help develop personalized mouthguards to help cushion and protect your smile, that way there’s less of a chance of injuries in the future.

Learn More About Sports Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Your jaw can feel uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. If it feels difficult for you to chew or move your mouth while talking or laughing, then you’ll want to schedule an appointment with your dentist as early as possible. However, if your jaw hurts because it’s dislocated or possibly broken, then head straight to your local ER for treatment.

How you should handle jaw pain: Place a cold compress on the outside of your cheek to alleviate discomfort and inflammation. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever to minimize discomfort.

How we treat jaw pain: Once you arrive at your appointment, our team will evaluate the root of your jaw pain. If your discomfort is due to constant clenching and grinding of your teeth during sleep, then we can provide you with custom-made nightguards for bruxism. If the cause is something else, we’ll work closely with you so you can have a more comfortable smile.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

This situation isn’t always an emergency, but it can affect your daily life if it isn’t dealt with early on. Firstly, you’ll want to rinse your mouth to help weaken and loosen the object stuck between your teeth. Then you should floss to help dislodge the item. Just make sure you NEVER use sharp tools to remove the object from your smile, including tweezers, forks, and toothpicks. If rinsing and flossing don’t help, visit our office for help instead.