Emergency Dentist El Reno

Fast & Effective Dental Care Right When You Need It

Bearded man with tooth pain rubbing his jaw

Rather than waiting for a dental injury to occur and then searching for an emergency dentist online, you can save yourself a lot of stress and wasted time by putting El Reno Family Dentistry’s number in your phone right now. Should your child develop a toothache, or you injure one of your own teeth, you can give us a call immediately, and a member of our team will schedule a same-day appointment for you. This allows us to turn your dental mishap into a distant memory as quickly as possible with emergency dentistry in El Reno, OK.

Why Choose El Reno Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Appointments Available
  • Sedation Dentistry for Nervous Patients
  • We’ll Work to Maximize Your Dental Benefits

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Female dental patient with tooth pain visiting emergency dentist in El Reno

Treating dental emergencies requires calling our office to schedule a same-day appointment. Based on the severity of your injury, we will work to get you in as quickly as we can so that you can begin to receive the treatment you need. A member of our team will escort you to a treatment room when you arrive so that digital images can be captured and reviewed. Dr. Jackson or Dr. Parsons will then review the findings to determine how best to move forward. After a thorough treatment plan is created, we will administer care so that you are no longer in pain and can walk away with a damage-free smile.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

At El Reno Family Dentistry, we treat all kinds of dental emergencies, many of which are listed below. Here, you can learn more about how we administer care as well as what you can do while at home to manage the pain.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Patient talking to someone at front desk

Like medical emergencies, the cost of emergency dental treatment varies based on the type and extent of the injury as well as the procedure needed to address it. When you come to see us, we’ll give you an exam and go over your options before starting any treatment. We’ll also discuss how we can use your insurance and financing options to help fit whatever you need comfortably into your budget.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Woman with a white shirt flossing her teeth
  • No matter the sport, always wear a mouthguard while playing.
  • Don’t chew hard items like ice, pens, popcorn kernels, fingernails, etc.
  • Don’t use your teeth to open packages, bottles, or remove tags from clothing.
  • Brush and floss every night—this will prevent the small problems that can turn into big emergencies later.
  • Look up while you’re walking—many patients accidentally trip or run into things and injure their teeth because they are looking down at their phones!

Dental Emergency FAQS

Do you accept dental emergency walk-ins?

We’re always here to help during a dental emergency and would never turn away someone in urgent need. That said, calling ahead is the best way to make sure you’re seen as quickly as possible. Although we set aside time each day for emergencies, walk-ins might still experience delays depending on the day’s schedule. A quick call lets us prepare for your arrival and give you the prompt care you deserve.

Should I go to the ER for a dental emergency?

Generally, the ER isn’t the right place for most dental emergencies. While they can offer pain relief and possibly antibiotics, they usually aren’t equipped to solve dental issues directly. Visiting an emergency dentist in El Reno like us ensures the root of the problem is addressed and your discomfort is relieved for good. However, if the emergency involves severe facial trauma, uncontrollable bleeding, difficulty breathing, or a suspected broken jaw, head to the ER first for immediate medical attention.

How much does emergency dentistry cost?

The cost of emergency dentistry varies depending on what needs to be done. Some issues might only need a simple treatment, like a filling or prescription, while others could require more involved care like a root canal or extraction. When you visit us, we’ll focus on relieving your pain right away. After that, we’ll explain your treatment options, associated costs, expected timeline, and how insurance or financing might help.

Does dental insurance cover emergency dentistry?

In many situations, yes, dental insurance can help cover emergency care, from diagnostics like X-rays to treatments such as crowns or extractions. Your actual coverage depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you've met, and other factors. Before moving forward with any major treatment, we’ll go over the costs with you and help you understand what’s covered. And if you don’t have insurance, we also provide flexible financing options through CareCredit to make things easier.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Yes, any lingering dental pain should be considered an urgent problem because it could stem from an infection or trauma to the tooth. Plus, waiting will only allow it to become worse in most cases, so you should reach out to your emergency dentist in El Reno right away!

How You Should Handle a Toothache: Avoid chewing with the tooth if you can, place a cold compress on your cheek for about 10 minutes on and off, and take over-the-counter medication for short-term relief.

How We Treat Toothaches: Our first priority will be to determine what is causing the toothache in the first place. Based on our findings, we’ll recommend the appropriate treatment, which will serve to provide relief as well as repair any damage. This can come in many forms, including simple fillings, crowns, or even root canal treatment. If the tooth is beyond saving, the best approach may be to remove it.

Learn More About Fillings

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Learn More About Root Canal Treatment

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? A chip can just be a cosmetic problem or a serious oral health risk depending on the size and location, and it’s best for patients not to wait for it to get worse. Acting quickly will not only prevent the damage from progressing, but it can also help a patient avoid a potential infection.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: Try to recover any pieces of your tooth that you can find and place them in a safe container. Gently rinse your mouth with warm water, take OTC medication for any pain, and try to come see us as soon as possible.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth: Minor chips can be covered with a veneer, while larger ones can be fixed with dental bonding or a crown. Root canal treatment may be necessary if the chip has exposed the interior pulp of a tooth to bacteria, which can lead to a serious infection. Thankfully, this is only true in a minority of cases.

Learn More About Veneers

Learn More About Cosmetic Bonding

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Learn More About Root Canal Treatment

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not always, but this can be tough to tell on your own. Some cracks are only cosmetic in nature, while others can lead to the tooth completely breaking and exposing the sensitive interior to infection. That’s why we recommend giving us a call no matter how severe a crack might appear to the naked eye.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: It’s wise not to eat before you’re able to see us, as chewing could potentially make the crack worse in addition to being very uncomfortable. OTC medication can help with any pain, as can rinsing with warm salt water (which also lowers your risk of infection)

How We Treat Cracked Teeth: Repairing a crack requires us to answer a few questions first. How bad is the damage, and does the crack extend below the gum line? Smaller cracks can be restored using a veneer, while bigger ones call for a dental crown. Some patients may need root canal treatment as the crack has allowed bacteria to reach the inner chamber of their tooth.  

Learn More About Veneers

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Learn More About Root Canal Treatment

Very Sensitive Teeth

  • Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not always. If you only experience sensitive teeth when you eat hot, cold, or spicy foods, and it quickly goes away, then it’s not urgent. But if the sensitivity is new and tends to linger for 20-30 seconds, it could indicate a problem that should be addressed right away, so you should call your emergency dentist in El Reno.
  • How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Other than being careful when consuming foods and beverages that hurt your teeth, brushing with a sensitive tooth toothpaste can be a big help, though it may take a week of consistent use before you start feeling the difference.
  • How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: For relatively minor sensitivity, we can apply topical fluoride to strengthen the enamel so the underlying nerve is better protected. However, if it stems from a cavity or gum disease, a filling or periodontal treatment might be necessary.

Learn More About Fluoride Treatment

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment

Knocked-Out Tooth

  • Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? A lost tooth in El Reno is definitely an emergency, and you should drop everything you are doing and call us immediately. The sooner we see you, the more likely we’ll be able to save and replant the tooth.
  • How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: Try to find it, pick it up by the crown (the part you can usually see in your mouth), and gently rinse it with room temperature water. Place it back into the socket and gently bite down to keep it in place, or if this isn’t possible, put it in a container with milk or saliva. This will help the root tissue stay alive until we can see you!
  • How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: In many cases, we’re able to splint a knocked-out tooth, which enables it to fuse with the jawbone and become stable. But if this isn’t possible, it might be best to replace it. Thankfully, we offer several options that can be tailored to your situation, all of which offer strong, natural-looking, and lasting results.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dentures

Lost Filling or Crown

  • Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Yes, because while you might not be in any pain, the loss of a restoration exposes the sensitive inner tissue of the tooth to bacteria that can lead to an infection and ultimately tooth loss. Plus, the remaining enamel could be rather weak and prone to cracking, so it’s best to have the tooth repaired as soon as possible.
  • How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: Recover the restoration if you can, give it a quick rinse with lukewarm water, and try to place it back onto your tooth. A dab of toothpaste can help with this. If not, put it in a safe container, remember to bring it to your appointment with us, and avoid chewing near the tooth in the meantime.
  • How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: Depending on the condition of your filling or crown, we might be able to just recement it back into place. But if it’s too damaged, replacing it may be the best approach. For many patients, this presents a great opportunity to upgrade from a noticeable metal restoration to one that is tooth-colored and more natural-looking.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Metal-Free Dental Crowns

Broken Denture

  • Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Certainly! While a broken denture might not cause any pain or discomfort directly, continuing to use one may lead to further damage and oral pain. Plus, it might prevent a person from eating or speaking properly, which are huge problems.
  • How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: First and foremost, take out your denture, and don’t wear it until it has been repaired. Also, don’t try to fix it yourself, as most instruction videos online are inaccurate and involve materials that aren’t safe to go into the mouth. Your best bet is to just reach out to your emergency dentist in El Reno ASAP.
  • How We Treat Broken Dentures: In some cases, we might be able to restore the denture. If the damage is too advanced, a replacement may be necessary. Or, this could serve as the opportunity to upgrade to a more stable and long-lasting implant denture. We’ll discuss all your options once we’ve had a chance to look at your prosthetic and examine your mouth.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Dentures

Loose Permanent Tooth

  • Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, a loose tooth can easily lead to a lost tooth if ignored. Instability could be the result of many issues, such as physical trauma, gum disease, or a serious infection that could affect neighboring teeth if not addressed quickly.
  • How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: Give us a call as soon as you notice and resist the urge to “test” or wiggle the tooth with your tongue or fingers. Avoid chewing with it and be very delicate when brushing/flossing the area.
  • How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Gum disease can cause a permanent tooth to feel loose--treating it can allow the supporting gums and bone to regain their strength and stability. But in some cases, the tooth may be beyond saving, in which case it’s better to extract and replace it. This not only helps the individual tooth but also contributes to the security of those around it.

Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

  • Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Not always. A superficial cut that stops bleeding relatively quickly doesn’t require an emergency visit. But if it is a large/deep injury, then it’s best to seek out professional attention right away.
  • How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Rinse the area gently with water, then apply pressure using gauze, tissue, or a clean towel to help control and stop any bleeding. If bleeding continues for more than 10 minutes and isn’t improving, then it’s best to head to the ER before reaching out to us.
  • How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: We’re able to place sutures to help soft tissue injuries heal more quickly than they would naturally. We may also prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection, and we’ll examine the mouth to make sure the injury didn’t also affect the teeth and jaw.

Jaw Pain

  • Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? If your jaw hurts slightly for a short period of time and then feels fine, it’s probably nothing to worry about. But if you deal with persistent pain in addition to symptoms like teeth grinding and headaches, to the point that it interferes with your everyday life, then it’s time to schedule an appointment.
  • How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: OTC pain relievers can be helpful as can avoiding particularly crunchy, hard, or sticky foods. If you suspect that your jaw might be broken due to an accident, visit the ER immediately.
  • How We Treat Jaw Pain: Beyond severe trauma, ongoing jaw soreness can stem from an unbalanced bite or teeth grinding that is placing excessive stress on the joints, or TMJ. This can strain the muscles and lead to soreness that radiates throughout the face, head, and neck. Our team can help identify what is causing this imbalance and then treat it directly so the symptoms go (and stay) away.

Learn More About TMJ Treatment

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

If an annoying piece of food just won’t budge, it’s best to use string floss or a water flosser to remove it. Toothpicks can be dirty and/or lead to gum injuries, and this is especially true if you try to use your fingers, scissors, or a knife. If the item is causing pain, placing a lot of pressure on the teeth, and you’ve already tried these suggestions, that’s when you should give us a call—we’d be happy to help!