Dental Emergencies - Lubbock, TX

Are you dealing with a dental emergency in Lubbock? If you injure your teeth or gums, it can cause a serious infection and you should contact our Lubbock dental office immediately to determine if you need to be seen right away. Waiting too long can increase the chances of permanent tooth damage, as well as the need for more extensive treatment later on.  Dallen Ricks, DDS is an experienced emergency dentist in Lubbock.  We understand that a dental emergency happens from time to time. Our office is here to help you through those emergencies in a timely manner. We make our very best effort to see emergency dentistry patients the very same day.  When you call our office, we can provide advice over the phone for how to handle your situation until you can make it into the office.

What's Considered A  Dental Emergency?

There is never a problem too big or too small for us to handle. Even if you’re considering whether or not to come in for a minor emergency, we can get you in to be seen to put your mind at ease. Some of the most common emergencies that are seen include:

• Pain, abscesses and infections
• Lost restorations (bridges, crowns, veneers, fillings)
• Orthodontic emergencies (broken brackets, cracked aligners, loose wires)
• Broken or cracked prosthetic appliances (dentures and partials)
• Cracked, fractured, chipped or broken teeth

Tips For Dealing With Common Dental Emergencies

• Broken or missing crown or filling: It is unlikely that the restoration can be reused, but please save it if possible. Do not attempt to glue or reattach the dental filling or dental crown.
• Broken or knocked out teeth: If you have a broken or knocked out tooth, please contact our office immediately. Retrieve the tooth, if possible, holding it by the crown (the part that is normally exposed in your mouth). You may gently rinse the tooth with water to remove dirt, but do not scrub or remove any tissue fragments that may be attached. The ADA recommends storing the tooth in a small container with your own saliva or milk. Teeth have the greatest chance of being replaced in the socket within one hour of being knocked out. If it cannot be saved, our practice offers a full range of restorative dentistry services such as dental implants or dental bridges.
• Tooth Pain: One of the most common oral health concerns is a sudden toothache or tooth pain. There are a number of things that cause a toothache, our first suggestion may be to try brushing or flossing around the tooth to remove any trapped food or other particles. You may also try rinsing with warm water or a diluted salt solution.
• Broken Dentures or Broken Bridge: If possible, save the broken denture or bridge and bring it with you to your appointment. In some cases, dentures and bridges can be repaired. We will evaluate your denture or bridge and make the best recommendation for repair or replacement

Contact Our Lubbock Emergency Dentist

Dental emergencies don’t hold the same schedule as our office, so we understand that problems will often pop up at the most inopportune times. In these cases, we recommend for our patients to remain calm and contact us as soon as possible. We have an after-hours emergency line available for instances such as these. Call our office at (806) 797-0341 to be put in touch with our emergency on-call doctor. We are your Lubbock emergency dentist, and we are here for you!