Emergency Dentist – Oklahoma City, OK

We’re Here When You Need Us

Woman smiling after visiting emergency dentist in Oklahoma City

You never know when a dental emergency will occur. As a result, you may feel panicked when faced with a sudden injury. Fortunately, our emergency dentist in Oklahoma City is here to deliver timely treatment when you need it most.

Why Choose Dental Expressions for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Caring Dental Team Who Will Remain by Your Side
  • Experienced Emergency Dentists
  • Sedation Dentistry Available

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Woman in dental chair holding her cheek in pain
  • Call to schedule an appointment – You will first need to call our dentist’s office to schedule an emergency appointment. A member of our team will determine the severity of your issue to identify if you need to come in on the same day. No matter the decision, you will also receive helpful tips to manage the pain and prevent further harm.
  • Undergo a complete examination – When meeting with one of our dentists, you will undergo a thorough examination using diagnostic imaging and a visual evaluation. This will allow us to pinpoint the underlying cause of the problem.
  • Review findings – After reviewing our findings, we will formulate a personalized treatment plan that details how we plan to address the issue and restore your smile.
  • Treat the problem – We’ll quickly get to work to eliminate any pain you may be experiencing as well as fix the damage caused to your teeth and/or gums. We’ll quickly get to work to eliminate any pain you may be experiencing as well as fix the damage caused to your teeth and/or gums.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Not all dental emergencies are easily identifiable. Some may appear worse than they are, while others may not be as serious as you might think. Below is a list of common injuries our dentists treat and what you can do should you find yourself experiencing such symptoms.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Dental receptionist handing paperwork to a patient

Attempting to understand how much you can expect to spend on your dental emergency simply isn’t possible without an appointment. Only when our dentists can examine your case and determine the underlying issue can we provide a thorough estimate that details the expected cost. Every person is different, so the restorative services provided will vary in price. Fortunately, most dental insurance companies offer coverage for one emergency exam each year as well as provide 50-80% coverage for any restorative care needed.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Woman smiling while brushing her teeth

Not all dental emergencies are preventable, but you can take proactive steps to minimize your risk. Whether it is by seeking professional help the minute you notice a problem or keeping your regular dental checkups and cleanings every six months, you can approach your oral healthcare in such a way that the potential for injuries is significantly reduced. You can also eat healthier foods, wear a mouthguard while asleep or while playing sports, give up bad habits such as smoking and nail-biting, and avoid using your teeth as tools when opening packages and containers.

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Toothaches

  • Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? While a minor toothache might be easy to ignore at first, it will only get worse over time. That’s why we recommend coming to see us as soon as possible if you experience any lingering dental pain. Often, this is the sign of an infection that could eventually spread and harm your gums and other teeth if left untreated!
  • How You Should Handle a Toothache: Taking over-the-counter pain medication, placing a cold compress on the face next to the tooth, and avoiding chewing in that part of the mouth can all help reduce the discomfort of a toothache. Above all else, you should give our office a call so we can schedule you as soon as possible.
  • How We Treat Toothaches: The cause and extent of a toothache will inform us on how to treat it. Typically, small cavities can be repaired in a single visit with a tooth-colored filling, while a more damaged tooth may need a crown to be restored. If the infection has reached the center of a tooth, then root canal therapy may be necessary, and if the situation is beyond repair, an extraction is the last resort. All in all, these options will stop the pain and prevent the problem from progressing.

Learn More About How We Treat Toothaches

Chipped Teeth

  • Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? A chipped tooth might not seem like a big deal at the moment, especially if the damage is really small and unnoticeable. Despite this, a patient should try to reach out to us without delay, as this kind of trauma makes a tooth more likely to become infected or break altogether unless it is repaired.
  • How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: If you can, try to recover the broken-off portion of the enamel. Gently rinse the mouth with warm water and use OTC medication or a cold compress to lessen pain. Be sure to call our team so we can see you right away.
  • How We Treat Chipped Teeth:  Often, applying a little bonding material to a tooth and shaping it to replace the missing enamel is all that’s necessary. A crown can help with larger chips as well and make sure the tooth both looks normal and is strong enough to endure daily chewing.

Learn More About How We Treat Chipped Teeth

Cracked Tooth

  • Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? A crack in a tooth is sometimes so small that a patient can’t see it, but they might start to notice new pain or sensitivity. At the same time, even visible cracks may not be accompanied by any other problems. If you suspect that a tooth is cracked, you should try to come see us right away. The break in the enamel makes the tooth much more susceptible to an infection that would require root canal therapy to address.
  • How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: Try not to chew with the cracked tooth so you don’t accidentally make the problem worse, and if there is pain, you can take OTC medication or apply a cold compress to the area. As touched on above, you should call us immediately to get scheduled as well.
  • How We Treat Cracked Teeth: Thankfully, fixing cracks is usually pretty straightforward. We can fill the area with a tooth-colored composite resin, or if the tooth is too weak, we can top it with a crown. If we suspect that bacteria have reached the interior of the tooth and is causing an infection, we may also need to perform root canal therapy.

Learn More About How We Treat Cracked Teeth

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Typically, no. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, if the sensitivity is stemming from one tooth, your gums are inflamed, the sensation has lasted for more than 24 hours, or you’re experiencing any other abnormal dental symptoms, then it definitely warrants a call to our Oklahoma City dental office.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth Handling very sensitive teeth centers largely around keeping you comfortable until you arrive at our office for your appointment. Proactive measures like avoiding hot drinks, not eating cold foods, and taking an OTC pain reliever can help immensely.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth First, we need to determine if your dental sensitivity is the result of a problem with your teeth or your gums. From there, we can review the available treatment options that will restore your healthy, happy, and pain-free smile, like periodontal therapy or a tooth-colored filling.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? If you’ve knocked-out one of your teeth, then you need to call our Oklahoma City dental office right away and schedule an appointment within the hour. This will ensure we have the highest chance of saving your tooth.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth When you call to schedule your appointment, one of our knowledgeable team members will walk you through what to do next. That starts with locating the tooth and extends to placing it in a container of milk or saliva to preserve the root until you arrive at our office.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth If the tooth is in good condition, the root has been preserved, and you get to our office within 60 minutes of the incident, then there is a good chance we will be able to save your tooth. If for any reason that is no longer feasible, then we will fill the open space with a dental bridge or implant to ensure the look, function, and health of your smile isn’t compromised moving forward.

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Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Even if you aren’t in any pain, a lost restoration warrants an appointment with our Oklahoma City emergency dentist, Dr. Holman.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown To protect your tooth from an infection and any further damage, we recommend rinsing your mouth with clean water and not chewing on that side of your mouth. You should also keep your restoration in a clean container for safekeeping until you arrive for your appointment.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns As long as your tooth didn’t sustain any additional damage, replacing a filling or crown is usually straightforward. With a filling, we will provide you with a new one the very same day (a simple and painless process). With a dental crown, we can recement your old one back in place or have a new one made.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? A broken denture may not be a painful, life-threatening issue, but you do rely on it every day to chew, speak, and smile. It should be treated like a dental emergency. If you continue to wear your broken dentures, you could end up with damage to your soft tissues. Give us a call as soon as you can to address this issue.

How to handle a broken denture: If your denture is broken, don’t try to repair it on your own. Household items, like superglue, can be harmful to your body and you may end up damaging your denture further. Instead, let us know what is going on so we can help.

How we treat broken dentures: The way we repair your denture depends on how badly it was damaged. If there are only minor chips and cracks, composite resin may do the trick. However, if the damage is beyond repair, we may need to fit you with a new denture. This is also a great time to discuss other tooth replacement options, like dental implants, if you are interested.

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Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? A loose tooth is an urgent dental emergency. This means that the tooth is at risk of falling out. Give us a call as soon as you can to schedule a visit.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: As soon as you notice that your tooth is loose, let us know. You should avoid touching the tooth and eating foods that are hard or sticky. Don’t chew on the side of your mouth with the loose tooth and be very careful when brushing and flossing.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: We will do everything we can to save your tooth, but if we are unable, we can discuss different tooth replacement options that are available.

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Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? It can be alarming when you cut your lip, gum, or cheek because it can bleed a lot. If you are worried about a wound to your mouth, give us a call. We can give you further instructions based on your situation.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Rinse the area with water to remove debris. Using a clean washcloth, apply pressure to the area until the bleeding subsides. A cold compress can help to reduce discomfort and swelling.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If the cut to your mouth is small enough, we may be able to stitch it up. However, if it is large or won’t stop bleeding, you should go to the emergency room. We’d be happy to take a look at your smile after you have been discharged.

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Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? In most cases, jaw pain isn’t an urgent dental emergency. However, it can be quite uncomfortable to deal with. If your pain becomes consistent or chronic, let us know so we can take steps to reduce your discomfort.

How you should handle jaw pain: Over-the-counter pain relievers and ice packs are usually enough to ease the discomfort. However, if you think your jaw could be broken or dislocated, you should head to the emergency room. We are happy to help with any concerns related to your smile as you have been discharged.

How we treat jaw pain: A custom nightguard for bruxism may be able to help reduce discomfort. If your wisdom teeth are the cause, we can work with you to have them extracted.

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Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Toothpicks, tweezers, and other sharp items should not be used in the mouth. You could end up accidentally injuring your soft tissues or pushing debris further between the teeth. Instead, use dental floss to carefully floss around the tooth and rinse your mouth with water. If you are struggling to get the debris out on your own, give us a call so we can give you further instructions.