Emergency Dentists in Flagstaff

What is a dental emergency?

A dental emergency is any situation that poses an immediate threat to the health of your teeth and supporting tissues. Dental emergencies are often the result of impact to the mouth, but they also can be caused by infection. To ensure the best possible outcome, any dental emergency should be evaluated by a professional immediately.

Why dental emergencies happen

Sometimes even the best filling or crown can break under the stress of chewing or teeth grinding. Other times when decay has been allowed to grow unchecked it will eventually get close to the nerve and tell us it’s time to see the dentist. People go without seeing a dentist for a long period for two main reasons:

A) Busy life/Not enough time
Our dental office opens as early as 6:30 A.M. You can get in and out before your busy day starts.

B) Fear
Read our google reviews! We care about people and are very successful at getting patients through all their dental treatment in a calm, easy and non-threatening manner.

Call our downtown Flagstaff office to be on your way to keeping healthy teeth and gums and feeling good about your smile.

When can I be seen?

Stowell, Blane and Bacon will often have same-day emergency dental appointments available.

What to do if a tooth has been knocked out

For permanent teeth that have been knocked out, rinse the tooth off with water and place it back in the socket.  Teeth have a much better chance of being saved when replaced within One hour of the accident   If you are unable to replace the tooth, put it in your mouth between your lower teeth and your cheek. Immediately after doing this call a dentist. Don’t touch the roots (handle the tooth by the crown) and don’t brush the tooth. – Again, the sooner you can get to a dentist, the better your chances of saving the tooth. Baby teeth often need no treatment but verify it is a baby tooth if in doubt.

7 Reasons for Dental Emergencies and Some Home Remedies

1. Large cavity
If cavity is large but not into the nerve of the tooth, placing some dental wax or temporary filling material you can buy at a drug store may help.  If the tooth is cold sensitive but not throbbing this is more likely to relieve your tooth ache. If you already have swelling this is not advised.

Removing the dental decay and sealing with a filling or crown should be done as soon as possible.

Consider having all your teeth checked, as often when there is one obvious problem there can be other small ones that can be rendered relatively inexpensively. Call Flagstaff Downtown Dental Office Phone Number 928-774-1168 and we will get you in in a timely fashion.

2. Lost or broken filling
Placing some dental wax or temporary filling material you can buy at a drug store may help in the short run with this dental emergency. If the tooth is cold sensitive but not throbbing this is more likely to relieve your sensitivity.

3. Broken tooth
A broken front tooth can be sharp and also it may expose the dentin (insulating layer) of the tooth. Be careful smoothing sharp areas yourself as you may damage the tooth further. Local Flagstaff dentists Stowell, Blane and Bacon can often bond some tooth colored filling material and with his many different tooth shades cam often make the break look and feel brand new!

A broken back tooth such as a molar can also sometimes be bonded or smoothed, depending on the severity.  Because of the increased chewing force on molars often the tooth will require a crown for long term durability.

4. Swollen cheek or gum
Swelling is almost always an infection and may need antibiotic treatment as well as a procedure to get rid of the infection.  It may be due to an infected tooth or a periodontal issue. Swelling should be treated right away. To remedy this dental emergency call our Flagstaff dental office at Flagstaff Downtown Dental Office Phone Number 928-774-1168.

5. Jaw pain
Jaw pain, commonly called TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) is most commonly caused by clenching one’s teeth. The following can help with this dental emergency: Soft diet, stop chewing gum and possibly alternating cold and heat may help acute cases.  The joint itself can be a serious problem and it is recommended to see a TMJ specialist if symptoms are extreme and/or persistent. Flagstaff dentists Stowell, Blane and Bacon have made hundreds of TMJ splints to help their patients with jaw or jaw muscle pain.

6. Wisdom teeth
When a wisdom tooth is starting to break through the gum a lot of bacteria may enter underneath the gum and cause an infection.  This emergency can usually be cured short term with antibiotics but long term may require extraction of the wisdom teeth. We usually will refer you to one of our Flagstaff Oral Surgeons to have them extracted.  It is mandatory that you be referred to the socialist for the one of the two Flagstaff Oral Surgeons to see you. (NOTE: We can e-mail any dental x-rays we take to the surgeon so you don’t have to pay twice. We have digital dental x-rays!)

7. Lost Crowns
It is important to have a crown re-cemented soon after it comes off.  Teeth will drift soon after a crown comes off and if too much time passes the crown may no longer fit.  We can often clean your tooth off and re-cement your crown.

Pain-Free Emergencies

Some dental emergencies may not always cause pain.  For example, a lost filling may not hurt but left alone it may become infected. Therefore we suggest immediate treatment for the above conditions with or without the presence of pain.

Pain Management

If you can’t get into our office immediately, here is a list of effective home remedies to make you more comfortable while you wait for care:

• Warm salt water rinses for sore gums. (Half a spoonful of salt in 12 oz water.)
• Over the counter pain medication such as Tylenol, Advil or Aleve.  Generics are O.K. Don’t take aspirin as that is a blood thinner and could make the dentist unable to work on you.
• Ice packs applied to the outside of cheeks.
• Topical anesthetics such as Ambesol (Benzocaine) may be used as directed on the package for pain.
• Avoid very hot and very cold food and drink to reduce sensitivity.
• Heating pads on the outside of your cheek for muscular  jaw pain.
• If a broken tooth is sharp, wax can sometimes be placed