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Emergency Dentist — Houston, TX

Don’t Worry About Dental Emergencies: Call Us!

Woman with a toothache in Houston

Even if you diligently take care of your teeth every day, accidents can still happen. These situations, typically referred to as dental emergencies, usually require a person to seek out dental care immediately. For dental emergencies, Dr. Cher Rich and our team can provide you the quick and effective treatment you need in your most vulnerable moments. If you or a loved one experiences a dental emergency, be sure to contact us immediately , even if it is after hours.

Why Choose Cher Rick DDS for Emergency Dental Care?

  • Same-Day Emergency Appointments Available
  • Calming Sedation Dentistry In-House
  • Open as Early as 7 A.M.

What to Do in a Dental Emergency

Woman with a dental emergency in Houston

  • Set up your same-day appointment with our team: No matter what your dental emergency is, you should always call us first. Our team will do everything we can to see you as soon as possible (we’ll make same-day appointments), and we’ll also walk you through basic first-aid over the phone.
  • Complete an emergency exam with Dr. Rich: Once you arrive at our practice, we can perform a detailed emergency exam, capture X-rays if necessary, and determine the exact source and extent of your emergency. We can also get you pain relief in most cases, but only if you visit!
  • Reviewing our findings and recommending treatment: We’ll go over our findings with you one-on-one and recommend a treatment plan complete with estimated costs and an expected timeline. You’ll know what to expect before receiving any dental service so you can make an informed decision on your care.
  • Get the professional care you need: Our team will work quickly to get you relief, whether it’s through dental fillings, crowns, TMJ therapy, scaling and root planing, or another service if needed.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

These are situations where you should stop whatever you are doing and call us as soon as you can. Do not assume your dental emergency will get better. Instead, give us a call and tell us about your symptoms so we can get you the dedicated attention you need fast!

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Emergency dentist in Houston shaking hands with a patient

Without performing a more detailed exam of your mouth, it’s extremely difficult to know for sure how much your emergency treatment will cost. After we’ve had a chance to examine our mouth, evaluated the state of your oral health and symptoms, and created a treatment plan, we’ll be able to provide more specific costs. We’ll work with you to make it as affordable as possible so you can get the care you need to resolve your emergency and protect your long-term oral health.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Couple preventing dental emergencies in Houston by brushing

It’s always much easier to prevent dental emergencies rather than treat them after they’ve occurred, so keeping a few proactive tips in mind could mean the difference between having a healthy smile and a damaged one that requires professional treatment. This includes:

  • Brushing twice a day with a soft-bristled toothbrush
  • Flossing at least once a day
  • Visiting our office for a checkup every six months
  • Never using your teeth as a tool
  • Wearing a mouthguard as needed to prevent chips or cracks in teeth
  • Eating a balanced diet

Dental Emergency FAQ’s 

tooth with first aid kit

You can’t always predict when a dental emergency will strike. That’s why it’s important to have as much information ahead of time so that you’re more prepared should one occur. For that reason, we have gathered some of the questions about dental emergencies that we get asked the most often and answered them below. If you have a question that you don’t see answered here, feel free to contact us and ask.

How Long Should I Wait to Receive Emergency Care?

If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, it’s critical that you seek treatment right away, even if you’re not sure whether it’s an emergency. When it comes to dental care, it’s much better to be safe than sorry. This is especially true if you have a damaged or knocked-out tooth, as time is of the utmost importance when it comes to saving your tooth. Furthermore, most dental emergencies have pain associated with them, so you’re going to want to see your emergency dentist as soon as possible to relieve your discomfort.

When Should I Go to the E.R. vs. the Dentist?

If your dental emergency is also life-threatening, like if you’re experiencing swelling that hinders your ability to breathe, then go to your local emergency room instead of seeing your dentist. Also visit the hospital if you injure your jaw and think it may be broken. For any other urgent dental situations, it’s best to see your emergency dentist.

What If My Child Knocks Out a Baby Tooth?

Unlike with a knocked-out permanent tooth, do NOT try and place the baby tooth back in the socket. Doing so may damage the underlying adult tooth. Depending on how close the tooth was to falling out naturally, we will decide whether to re-implant it. If it was not close, we may have to put a space maintainer in the area to keep the surrounding teeth from drifting and trying to fill in the gap.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? There are different severities of tooth pain, some that require urgent attention, and some that may come and go, signifying a more minor issue, like dental sensitivity. Your toothache in Houston requires emergency attention in the following situations:

  • The pain lasts for over 24 hours
  • You experience a sharp pain when biting down
  • There’s a small pimple-like bump on the gums near your affected tooth
  • The tooth that’s in pain looks dark or discolored
  • You experience symptoms of serious infection, like swelling, fever, and fatigue

How You Should Handle a Toothache: To make sure that your pain isn’t caused by food debris stuck between a tooth, we recommend gently flossing between them. If your pain persists, you can take an over-the-counter pain medication, like ibuprofen, to help with your discomfort. We also recommend keeping your mouth clean by rinsing with saltwater. This will help reduce inflammation and kill harmful oral bacteria. If you notice the outside of your face is swelling, you can place a cold compress on the area for 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off.

How We Treat Toothaches: The treatment that we recommend for your toothache will depend on the diagnosis you receive during your examination. If your pain is caused by a progressing cavity, we may recommend a simple tooth-colored filling or dental crown. If it’s caused by an infection, we may refer you for a root canal or tooth extraction.

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? In most cases, a minor chip in a tooth can wait to be addressed for up to a few days. However, more severe damage can cause drastic discomfort and in some cases, extreme sensitivity, in these situations, urgent treatment is necessary.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: If you’re able to find the portion of your tooth that chipped-off, pick it up, rinse it under cool water, and bring it to your appointment with you. Rinse your mouth with saltwater to clean the area of any debris and bacteria, and avoid chewing or biting anything using your injured tooth. If the damage has created a sharp edge, you can place dental wax or a piece of sugar-free gum over it to keep it from cutting the inside of your cheek or lip.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth: A chipped tooth is most often treated with direct bonding, as it’s a fast and cost-effective way to protect the tooth from further damage. If you’re concerned about aesthetics and a good candidate for a veneer, this could also be a great solution!

Learn More About Direct Bonding

Learn More About Veneers

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? You can’t always notice a crack in a tooth, but if you do, it’s always something you should solve by visiting your emergency dentist in Houston. This is because without timely treatment, even the smallest crack can put you at risk of developing a severe toothache or even needing an extraction. If you’re experiencing dental pain or sensitivity, this can also signify that a tooth is cracked.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: The first step you should take is to rinse your mouth with saltwater, making sure the area stays clear of bacteria and food debris. This issue can lead to severe discomfort, so take over-the-counter pain medications as directed by our staff and avoid eating or chewing until you reach our office.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth: Cracked teeth in Houston can typically be treated with a customized dental crown, which will seal it off from harmful oral bacteria and prevent an infection from developing. However, if an infection has already formed as a result of the damage, you may require root canal treatment or a tooth extraction.

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Very Sensitive Teeth

Knocked-Out Tooth

Lost Filling or Crown

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth