Emergency Dental Care
Dental emergencies can happen without warning. If you are dealing with severe tooth pain, swelling, bleeding, a broken tooth, a knocked-out tooth, or a damaged restoration, Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics is here to help you take the next step quickly.
What Counts As A Dental Emergency?
At Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics, we are here for our patients when oral health becomes unpredictable. A bad fall, car accident, untreated cavity, broken restoration, or sudden swelling can quickly become stressful and painful.
Generally, any dental problem involving severe pain, excessive bleeding, infection, facial swelling, a loose tooth, a broken tooth, or a missing tooth should be evaluated promptly by a dentist.
Problems That Should Not Wait
Dental emergencies can range from trauma to infection to damaged dental work. Calling early helps the team understand your symptoms, prioritize your needs, and guide you on what to do before your visit.
Stay Calm, Protect The Area, Call Quickly
The right first steps can make a major difference. Call Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics as soon as you can and tell the team you are experiencing a dental emergency. Bring any broken tooth pieces, lost restoration, denture pieces, or knocked-out tooth with you.
Fast Answers, Clear Next Steps
Emergency dental treatment depends on the cause of the problem. The first priority is to relieve pain, control infection or bleeding, protect the tooth, and determine the safest long-term repair.
Experienced Care When You Need It Most
When a dental emergency strikes, you need a team that can listen quickly, evaluate carefully, and help you understand your options. Drs. Ken and Marnie Collins bring over 25 years of Spokane dental experience to urgent dental care, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and family-centered treatment.
Answers Before You Call
These answers help patients understand when to call, what to do before an emergency visit, and how to prevent future dental emergencies.
What should I do if I knock out a tooth?
For a knocked-out adult tooth, pick it up by the crown, not the root. Keep it moist at all times. If possible, place it gently back in the socket. If not, place it in milk, saliva, or a tooth preservation product and call a dentist immediately.
What should I do if I chip or break a tooth?
Rinse your mouth with warm water, save any pieces, and use a cold compress outside the mouth to reduce swelling. Call the dentist promptly so the tooth can be evaluated and protected.
Is a toothache a dental emergency?
A toothache can be an emergency if pain is severe, persistent, worsening, or paired with swelling, fever, bad taste, pressure sensitivity, or visible damage. Rinse with warm water, gently floss, and call the dentist.
What are signs of a dental abscess?
Possible signs include throbbing tooth pain, facial or jaw swelling, gum swelling, fever, bad taste, sensitivity, swollen lymph nodes, or a pimple-like bump on the gums. Dental abscesses need professional care and should not be ignored.
When should I go to the emergency room?
Seek emergency medical care if you have trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, facial swelling with fever, confusion, a rapidly spreading infection, uncontrolled bleeding, or symptoms that feel life-threatening.
What should I do if a crown, veneer, bridge, or filling falls out?
Save the restoration if you have it and call the dentist. Avoid chewing on that side. Do not use household glue. Temporary dental cement may help short-term, but the tooth needs professional evaluation.
What should I do if I break my dentures or partial dentures?
Do not use household glue or DIY repairs. Keep all broken pieces in a container and bring them to your appointment. If the denture causes irritation or sores, stop wearing it until the dentist can evaluate it.
Is hot or cold sensitivity ever an emergency?
Mild sensitivity is common, but sudden, worsening, lingering, or severe sensitivity can be a sign of decay, a cracked tooth, infection, or exposed root. Call the dentist if sensitivity is new, intense, or paired with pain or swelling.
What should I do if my dental emergency happens while traveling?
Rinse with clean water, use cold compresses for swelling, take over-the-counter pain relievers as directed, and find a local dentist or urgent care provider. If a tooth is knocked out, keep it moist in milk or saliva and seek care immediately.
How can I prevent future dental emergencies?
Brush twice daily, floss daily, keep routine dental cleanings, wear a mouthguard for sports, wear a nightguard if recommended, avoid chewing ice or hard objects, and address small chips, sensitivity, or gum swelling early.
Where can I find an emergency dentist in Spokane?
Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics provides emergency dental care guidance for patients in Spokane, Spokane Valley, South Hill, Veradale, Liberty Lake, and surrounding Spokane County communities.
Credible Emergency Dental Education
Need Emergency Dental Care In Spokane?
Call Collins Dentistry & Aesthetics and let the team know you are experiencing a dental emergency. We will help you understand the next step and schedule the appropriate care as quickly as possible.