We Care About Your Dental Emergency
At Blue Wave Smiles, we understand that a dental emergency can happen at any time. You don’t care that it’s a weekend or the middle of the night when you’re in pain and need immediate help. While we hope you never experience a dental emergency, it’s good to know that Dr. Andrew Nguyen and the staff of Blue Wave Smiles are here for you. No matter what the situation, we treat patients on a walk-in basis as quickly as possible on the same day. You may also contact us at (949) 498-6840 to arrange for prompt dental care.
The 10 Most Common Types of Dental Emergencies
While we recognize that every patient is unique, some dental problems crop up more often than others. Below are the most common types of dental problems that we treat on an urgent basis here at Blue Wave Smiles.
- You chipped or broke your tooth. This common problem can occur when biting into food or when you experience some type of trauma to your mouth. It can be quite painful and requires immediate treatment. Before you come to our office for treatment, try rinsing your mouth with warm water to help with the pain. We also encourage you to keep the tooth in its original place if possible. An ice pack can also help to reduce pain and swelling on your way to our office.
- You lost or broke a crown or filling. The most typical way that people lose a dental restoration is by biting into food. If you didn’t swallow the crown or filling, try to hold onto it and give it to Dr. Nguyen. Your tooth will feel very sensitive to temperature differences in what you eat or drink and even to air. That’s why you should come in for an evaluation as soon as you can.
- You experienced trauma to the mouth that loosened one of your teeth. If something hit you hard enough in the mouth to knock a tooth loose, there’s still a good chance that Dr. Nguyen can save it. You can apply an ice pack to the outside of your mouth, take non-prescription painkillers, or do both before you get to our office.
- Sudden toothache. When your tooth starts throbbing, you just want the pain to stop. You don’t necessarily care about figuring out the reason. Some things you can do at home before coming in to see us include rinsing your mouth with warm water and flossing around the tooth to make sure no food particles are stuck to it.
- Abscessed tooth. Due to the significant pain involved and the potential for further infection, it’s critical to seek help for an abscessed tooth right away. The swelling doesn’t necessarily mean a tooth abscess, but it’s always best to get a prompt evaluation to find out for sure.
- You have something stuck between two teeth. If you have something lodged between two teeth that you can’t remove by flossing or using a dental pick, get in to see us as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the more your pain will increase and the greater your likelihood of developing an oral infection.
- You have significant pain or bleeding after biting your tongue or cheek. Sometimes the sides of cheeks pull inwards as people eat, leaving them vulnerable to a painful bite. You could also bite your tongue instead of your food. These are both common issues that typically don’t require outside intervention from a dentist. However, it’s always right to seek emergency care when you can’t get the bleeding under control or you feel concerned about the size of the gouge.
- Part of your braces broke. This situation is more likely to happen to your child than to you. It’s an uncomfortable problem no matter who experiences it because it could cause a wire to snap or cause discomfort due to a poking wire. If a bracket breaks off, try to hold onto it and bring it to our office to have Dr. Nguyen reapply it.
- Incoming wisdom teeth cause you pain. The back of your jaw does not provide enough room for wisdom teeth to erupt normally. That means you may experience significant pain until you can arrange to have them extracted. Due to the lack of space, your gums may become irritated and inflamed. You may also experience bad breath. The technical term for this problem is pericoronitis and it requires emergency dental treatment.
- You injured or broke your jaw. You may need to report to the nearest emergency room for this one, depending on the severity of the injury or break. For less severe jaw injuries, we can evaluate the problem and prescribe you pain medication.
The staff at Blue Wave Smiles doesn’t want to see anyone suffer due to an urgent dental situation. We encourage you to contact us or come into the office even if you feel unsure that your problem is a true dental emergency. Obtaining a professional evaluation is the right choice for any sudden or painful dental issue. Taking a proactive approach to correcting or managing the dental issue is the best thing you can do for your long-term oral health.
Emergency Visit Financial Information
Blue Wave Smiles accepts most PPO insurance plans. And if you do not have dental insurance, we work with Wells Fargo Health Advantage and Lending Club to offer our patients flexible financing options. For payment, we accept cash, checks, and major credit cards.
For more information about your payment or financing options at Blue Wave Smiles, don’t hesitate to call our office.
Same-Day Emergency Visits
Give us a call or come by the office. We accept same-day emergency walk-in visits. Let us help you get relief from your dental emergency!