Dental emergencies strike without warning, often occurring during evenings, weekends, or while you’re traveling, leaving you in pain and uncertain about what to do next. Whether you’ve knocked out a tooth in an accident, developed a severe toothache that keeps you awake at night, or broken a dental restoration, immediate professional care can make the difference between saving and losing a tooth.
Drs. Chin and Pharar Dentistry provides prompt emergency dental care for patients throughout Summerlin and the surrounding Las Vegas area. Dr. Robert Chin and Dr. Jessica Pharar understand that dental emergencies cause both physical pain and emotional stress, and our team is committed to providing calm, compassionate care when you need it most urgently.
Common Dental Emergencies Requiring Immediate Care
Dental emergencies encompass a range of urgent situations that require professional evaluation and treatment. Severe toothaches often indicate underlying infection or decay that has reached the tooth’s nerve, creating intense pain that over-the-counter medications cannot adequately address. Left untreated, these infections can spread to surrounding tissues and even enter the bloodstream, creating potentially life-threatening complications. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that approximately 25 percent of adults between ages 20 and 44 have untreated dental cavities, and many of these untreated cavities eventually progress to emergencies.
Knocked-out teeth represent one of the most time-sensitive dental emergencies. If you can get to a dentist within an hour of the injury, there’s a reasonable chance of successfully reimplanting the tooth. However, every minute counts, and the longer you wait, the lower the chances of saving the tooth. Similarly, teeth that have been loosened, chipped, or fractured require prompt attention to prevent further damage and preserve as much of the natural tooth structure as possible.
Recognizing Serious Warning Signs
Some dental problems constitute true emergencies that shouldn’t wait for a regular appointment. Uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth, especially following an injury or tooth extraction, requires immediate professional intervention. Swelling in your jaw, face, or neck can indicate an abscess or serious infection, particularly when accompanied by fever, difficulty swallowing, or breathing problems. These symptoms demand urgent care, as infections in the oral cavity can spread rapidly to other parts of your body.
Severe pain that persists despite taking pain relievers suggests significant damage or infection requiring professional treatment. Objects stuck between your teeth that you cannot remove with gentle flossing may cause soft tissue damage or push teeth out of alignment if left in place. Lost or broken dental restorations, while perhaps not as dramatic as other emergencies, still warrant prompt attention to prevent sensitivity, pain, or further damage to the affected tooth.
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Immediate Steps to Take During a Dental Emergency
Your actions in the first moments following a dental emergency can significantly impact the outcome. For a knocked-out permanent tooth, handle it only by the crown (the visible part), never touching the root. Gently rinse the tooth with water if it’s dirty, but don’t scrub or remove any attached tissue fragments. Try to reinsert the tooth into its socket if possible, or keep it moist by placing it in milk or between your cheek and gum while you seek emergency care.
If you’re experiencing severe pain from a toothache, rinse your mouth with warm salt water and use dental floss to remove any food particles that might be causing irritation. Apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek to reduce swelling and provide some pain relief. For a chipped or broken tooth, save any pieces you can find, rinse your mouth with warm water, and apply gauze to any bleeding areas until it stops.
How We Handle Emergency Situations
When you contact our practice with a dental emergency, we prioritize getting you seen as quickly as possible. Our team understands that you’re in pain and anxious, and we work to schedule emergency appointments promptly, often accommodating same-day visits. Upon arrival, we conduct a thorough evaluation to understand the nature and extent of your emergency, including appropriate diagnostic imaging when necessary.
Our immediate focus is relieving your pain and stabilizing the situation. For infections, this may involve draining an abscess and prescribing antibiotics. For damaged teeth, we provide temporary or permanent restorations depending on the circumstances. Throughout your emergency visit, we explain what’s happening, what treatment you need, and what you can expect during recovery.
Preventing Common Dental Emergencies
While you cannot prevent all dental emergencies, many are avoidable through proper precautions and consistent preventive care. Regular dental check-ups and cleanings help identify potential problems before they develop into emergencies. Cavities detected early can be treated with simple fillings, preventing the progression to painful infections requiring root canal treatment or extraction.
Wearing a properly fitted mouthguard during sports and recreational activities significantly reduces your risk of dental injuries. Custom mouthguards fabricated by a dentist provide superior protection compared to over-the-counter options. If you grind your teeth at night, a custom night guard protects your teeth from excessive wear and cracking that could lead to emergency situations.
Avoid putting your dental health on hold until minor problems become major emergencies. Persistent tooth sensitivity, small chips or cracks in teeth, and bleeding gums all represent warning signs that shouldn’t be ignored. Addressing these issues proactively through our comprehensive dental services prevents many situations that would otherwise require emergency intervention.
Special Considerations for Medically Complex Patients
Patients with certain medical conditions face unique challenges during dental emergencies. Individuals taking blood thinners may experience prolonged bleeding following dental injuries or procedures. Those with compromised immune systems, including cancer patients, are at higher risk for severe infections from dental problems. Our practice has extensive experience managing dental emergencies for medically complex patients, including those undergoing cancer treatment and individuals with special needs.
We coordinate care with your other healthcare providers when necessary to ensure safe, effective emergency treatment. For patients experiencing significant anxiety about emergency dental care, we offer sedation options that help you remain comfortable and relaxed during urgent procedures. This specialized expertise allows us to handle even the most complex emergency situations with confidence and compassion.
Comprehensive Emergency and Ongoing Care
Following emergency treatment, many patients require additional care to fully restore their oral health. A tooth that needed emergency root canal treatment will eventually require a permanent crown for long-term protection. Dental trauma may necessitate dental implants if teeth cannot be saved. We provide seamless transition from emergency care to comprehensive restorative treatment, ensuring continuity and optimal outcomes.
Dr. Jessica Pharar graduated from the UNLV School of Dental Medicine and brings specialized training in complex dental cases to her practice. Her experience includes research in oral cancer and dental lasers, as well as community outreach work. Dr. Robert Chin’s complementary expertise ensures that our practice can handle a wide range of emergency situations with skill and confidence.
If you’re experiencing a dental emergency in Summerlin, don’t wait for the pain to become unbearable or for a minor problem to become a major crisis. Contact our office immediately at (702) 445-7075, and our team will provide guidance over the phone and schedule you for prompt evaluation and treatment. For ongoing dental care and preventive services that help you avoid emergencies, we invite you to contact our office to become a patient at Drs. Chin and Pharar Dentistry.