Emergency Dental Care When You Need It in Paradise Valley, AZ

Dental Emergencies Q & A

Take a moment to read through our answers to common questions about our dental emergency services in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, AZ:

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Visit your dentist as quickly as you can if you have a cracked, broken, or knocked-out tooth. Persistent pain in your tooth is also an emergency, as it could be an infection called an abscess. Complications after oral surgery would also be a reason to come in. When in doubt whether something is an emergency, call Dr. Ngo and tell him your symptoms or what happened, and we can tell you if it’s an emergency and what steps to take.

What Should I Do If I Have a Knocked-Out Tooth?

Touching the crown and not the root, pick up your tooth and gently rinse it in warm water to remove dirt or sediment. If able, place your tooth back in its socket to keep it from drying out. If you’re unable to do that, wrap the tooth in clean gauze and place it in milk or your own saliva to keep it moist while on your way to see us. The survival rate of teeth is most successful when you come in within 60 minutes of the incident.

What If My Tooth Is Pushed Out of Position?

Apply very light pressure to push it back to its normal position and bite down to keep the tooth in place until you arrive to see the dentist.

What If I Have a Chipped, Cracked, or Fractured Tooth?

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Ngo immediately, and while you wait, rinse your mouth with warm water and use an ice pack and ibuprofen to reduce any pain or swelling. Avoid aspirin, as it will make you bleed more than you normally would.

What Can I Do to Avoid a Dental Emergency?

You can lessen the chances with a few precautions, including wearing a mouthguard if you play contact sports, avoiding biting down on hard foods and candies, and keeping an emergency kit on hand. That should include a handkerchief and gauze, a small container with a lid, and ibuprofen. We’re ready to help patients of any age with dental emergency services in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, AZ. If you or your family experience dental pain or injury, be sure to call Dr. Ngo at S&L Dental right away!

When to go to a hospital emergency room instead

Most dental problems are treated fastest at a dental office, but a few need a hospital. Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room right away if you have any of the following:

• Swelling spreading toward your eye or down your neck, or swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow
• Bleeding that will not stop after 15–20 minutes of firm, continuous pressure
• A suspected broken or dislocated jaw, or a facial injury that involved loss of consciousness
• A fever alongside facial swelling and feeling generally unwell

For everything else, calling us first is usually faster. Hospital emergency rooms can manage pain and infection, but they are not equipped to repair or restore teeth.

Severe toothache

Rinse gently with warm salt water, then floss carefully on either side of the tooth to dislodge anything trapped. An over-the-counter pain reliever, taken as directed on the packet, can help in the meantime. Never place aspirin directly against the gum — it burns the tissue. Call us as soon as you can: a toothache that keeps returning rarely settles on its own.

Chipped, cracked or broken tooth

Rinse your mouth with warm water and keep any pieces of the tooth to bring with you. Hold a cold compress against the outside of the cheek to limit swelling, and avoid chewing on that side. Even a small chip is worth checking, because a crack can extend below the gum line where you cannot see it.

Facial swelling or a dental abscess

Swelling around a tooth, a persistent bad taste, or a pimple-like bump on the gum can all signal infection. Do not try to drain it yourself. Rinse with warm salt water and call us the same day. If the swelling is spreading or you feel unwell, treat it as urgent and see the emergency-room guidance above.

Lost filling or crown

Keep the crown if you still have it. You can cover the exposed tooth temporarily with dental cement from a pharmacy, or dab a little clove oil on the sensitive area for relief. Avoid denture adhesive or household glue. Chew on the other side and call us — an unprotected tooth can fracture or decay quickly.

Knocked-out tooth — time matters most

Handle the tooth by the crown only, never the root. Rinse it briefly with milk or saline (not tap water, and do not scrub it). If you can, place it straight back into the socket and hold it there. If you cannot, keep it in milk or your own saliva — never let it dry out. Getting to us within 60 minutes gives the tooth the best chance of surviving.

Bitten lip, tongue or cheek

Clean the area gently with water and apply firm pressure with clean gauze. A cold compress will reduce swelling. If bleeding does not stop after 15–20 minutes of steady pressure, seek emergency care.

Something stuck between your teeth

Try dental floss first, easing it gently rather than snapping it down. Never use a pin, needle or anything sharp — it is easy to damage the gum or scratch the tooth. If it will not come free, call us rather than persisting.

Broken braces wire or bracket

If a wire is poking your cheek, push it flat with the eraser end of a pencil or cover it with orthodontic wax. Do not cut the wire, as it could be swallowed or inhaled. Call to arrange a repair.

Pain a few days after an extraction

Throbbing pain that begins two to four days after a tooth is removed can indicate a dry socket, where the protective blood clot has been lost. This is treatable and relief is usually quick, but it needs to be seen — call us rather than waiting it out.

Not sure whether it counts as an emergency?

Call us on 480-445-9898. Describing the problem takes a minute, and we would far rather talk it through than have you wait in pain or risk losing a tooth that could have been saved.

This page offers general first-aid guidance and is not a substitute for an examination. If symptoms are severe or worsening, seek immediate care.