Helping Patients Find Weekend Emergency Dentists near Dallas, TX

How Do I Know When a Dental Problem Is an Emergency?

It's normal to occasionally experience a minor toothache or mild soreness in your mouth or jaw— these issues often resolve on their own and can be brought up to your dentist at your next check-up if there’s a recurrent issue. If the discomfort is manageable, you might be able to wait until you can be seen at your regular dentist's office.

However, it's important to remain aware that frequent or ongoing dental pain can indicate a more serious underlying problem that may get worse as time goes on. Dental emergencies are urgent situations that cannot wait for the next available slot at your regular dentist. Many dental offices are unable to schedule appointments within a few days or even weeks, regardless of the severity of your pain.

Waiting for an appointment can lead to significant discomfort and difficulties with eating, drinking, talking, or sleeping, while at-home remedies often offer only temporary relief and do not address the underlying issue. Symptoms may bring you severe pain and constant discomfort and increase your risk of sustaining further complications such as infection, tooth loss, or permanent nerve damage.

If you experience severe mouth pain—such as aching, throbbing, and inflammation—that steadily worsens or becomes more noticeable when touched, exposed to air, or affected by hot or cold temperatures, you’re probably facing a dental emergency that requires prompt, professional care. If you have significant or continuous jaw pain along with symptoms such as swelling, difficulty swallowing, or a fever, you may be dealing with an infection. An oral infection has the potential to spread to other areas of your body by entering your bloodstream, affecting your overall health. While at-home remedies might offer temporary relief, persistent and concerning symptoms promptly, need a dentist's intervention to resolve the primary complication at hand.

Examples of an Urgent Dental Crisis Requiring Treatment

Naturally, not every slight ache or minor bleeding you may experience constitutes a visit to an emergency dentist. If you cracked your tooth but there’s no serious pain, sharp edges, or part of your tooth came out, you should definitely schedule a check-in with your dentist, but an emergency appointment isn’t necessary. If you’re not sure whether your situation is urgent, nothing to worry about, or an issue that should be okay to deal with for a few days before an upcoming appointment, don’t hesitate to call your dentist's office or Emergency Dental Service.

Non-emergencies can typically be temporarily handled at home while you contact your dentist and wait until you can be seen by them or another dental office. For example, if you lose a tooth filling or one of the wires of your braces is sticking out, you can pick up some dental cement or wax at your local pharmacy to protect the area while you wait for your appointment.

Other minor problems include slight tooth pain, sustaining an injury to your gums or other soft tissue, and oral bleeding. While these situations do warrant a dental professional’s assessment, they’re not dental emergencies. These are some common dental complications that patients require immediate or short-notice treatment for:

• Tooth extractions: When a tooth is too damaged to be repaired, it may need to be extracted. This is also necessary for impacted teeth, such as third molars (wisdom teeth), which can lead to serious discomfort, restrict mouth movement, and cause your teeth to shift or sustain permanent damage.
• Soft tissue injuries and oral bleeding: If an accident causes you to get hit or cut along the soft tissues of your mouth (gums, sides or roof of your mouth, tongue, etc.), you may not need to see an emergency dentist unless the pain is extreme. It’s very easy for these tissues to bleed, and you may lessen the bleeding by rinsing your mouth with a mild salt-water solution and applying a cold compress to the area, such as an ice pack or moistened gauze/tea bag.
• Facial pain and jaw complications: Symptoms indicative of a fractured jaw or other facial bone include significant discomfort, swelling, and bulging gums.
• Broken tooth: A tooth may get chipped or cracked while eating, during physical activity or a falling accident, chronic teeth grinding, or other unexpected circumstances. New sensitivity or pain during eating or drinking can indicate surface damage. If the pain is severe or gets consistently worse or more heightened when eating or drinking, consider getting a professional’s opinion about whether you should seek urgent dental care.
• Dental abscesses: An abscess forms as your body responds to an infection or harmful bacteria by creating a protective barrier. This pimple-like sore is often accompanied by painful swelling and inflammation and may appear near the tooth root or along the gums.
• Partially dislodged or knocked-out teeth: If a tooth or a part of a tooth is knocked out or dislocated, it can often be saved if you see an emergency dentist within 1-2 hours. Bring any lost teeth or partial fragments with you to the dentist. In the meantime, wash the toothpieces and store them in milk.
• Broken braces or lost fillings: Damage to corrective appliances—such as braces, permanent treatments like fillings and crowns, or dentures—requires prompt evaluation and correction by a dentist so further issues don’t develop and you can resume your day-to-day activities.

Why Should I Get Urgent Care Instead of My Usual Dentist in Dallas, TX?

Not every dental issue will require urgent attention, but it's crucial to understand that delaying care for serious dental problems can pose significant risks to your health. If you experience severe pain, recurrent discomfort, symptoms worsening over time, or heightened sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages, it may be a sign that only emergency dental care can fix the problem.

While at-home remedies might offer temporary relief, persistent symptoms often signal that professional treatment is warranted. Significant or ongoing pain in your jaw, especially when accompanied by swelling or irritation, difficulty swallowing, or a fever, can indicate an infection. Oral infections can potentially enter your bloodstream, spread to other areas of your body, and affect your overall health.

Dentists are trained to recognize the early warning signs of a range of different dental and mouth health conditions. They can determine if your pain or injury is indicative of a more pressing issue such as gum disease, oral cancer, impacted teeth, or that a root canal procedure is promptly required. Delaying emergency dental treatment can worsen your condition, potentially leading to more extensive and costly procedures in the future.

What You Can Expect During an Emergency Dentist Appointment

Weekend and emergency dentists and other dental professionals are fully trained and equally qualified to provide the same types of procedures and treatment that your usual dentist provides you. The main difference is that weekend dentists can often see you on short notice, providing immediate relief and treatment to manage your pain while you wait for a more comprehensive follow-up appointment. While some emergencies can be resolved in a single visit, more complex issues, such as a root canal, will likely require an additional visit.

Experiencing a dental emergency or severe mouth pain can be overwhelming and distressing, whether you're dealing with it yourself or caring for someone else. Consulting a dental professional, even if the primary issue isn't fully resolved in one appointment, can provide much-needed reassurance and help you manage the situation more effectively.

The appointment will likely go much like any other check-up. The dental team will sign you in, and once you’re taken back by the treating dentist or dental nurse, they’ll ask you various questions about when and how the symptoms started, what you’ve been experiencing, and other details of your dental history. The dental professional will either correct the issue within this emergency appointment or prep you so your teeth are stable for an upcoming follow-up appointment that’s more prepared to provide you with in-depth treatment.

Either way, your emergency dentist will administer care and further instruction to help manage your painful or uncomfortable symptoms, as well as ensure you’re scheduled for an additional appointment or a check-up with them or your usual dentist's office.

Don’t Hesitate To Get the Help You Need Because of Additional Costs

If your regular dentist can see you within a few days and is comfortable with you waiting, given the nature of your condition, you might opt to forgo emergency treatment if your symptoms are manageable. However, this isn’t always a feasible option. Many dental offices are booked weeks in advance, which would entail you enduring pain and discomfort for an extended period. Delaying treatment can also pose significant health risks, such as worsening injuries, further damage, or even the development of an infection.

While it’s true that emergency services are likely to include extra costs, more than your normal dental appointments, there are options available to help you cover these expenses. Many dentist offices offer staggered payment programs or discounts, so be sure to ask if you have concerns about your financial standing.

Urgent dental care can be somewhat more expensive because you’re paying for the convenience of being seen on such short notice. Additionally, if specialized procedures or supplies are warranted to treat your issue, this will cost the dentist's office the trained labor necessary to operate certain equipment or administer a specific procedure, such as using the X-ray machine or repairing a dental filling.

How You Can Benefit From Our Resources at Emergency Dental Service

If you want to speak with a dentist right away through a virtual examination, Emergency Dental Service offers patients a 24/7 teledentistry option during which they can speak with an experienced dentist and receive further guidance for treatment. An Emergency Dental Service team member can also use our resources to find a provider near you if you prefer or require an in-person appointment, whether you’re at home or traveling.

When you contact Emergency Dental Service, a capable representative can assist you by locating an emergency dentist in your area and scheduling a same-day or early next-day appointment while also offering ways to manage your pain in the meantime. For patients without adequate dental insurance, Emergency Dental Service also offers payment plans, immediate loans, and discounts at providers within our network for members on our plan.

Emergency Dental Service Can Look for Dentists Open on Weekends Near You in Dallas, TX

It can be extremely stressful to go through a dental emergency by yourself, whether you’re going through the pain and panic of your own critical situation or you’re caring for a loved one who’s dealing with an urgent tooth problem. You may find it challenging to find a dental provider in your relative area who takes your insurance or can offer a financial option that’s viable for you.

By reaching out to Emergency Dental Service, a proficient representative can easily schedule an appointment on your behalf. Our team will ensure you’re seen by an emergency dentist local to you, who’s prepared to administer the treatment your urgency requires and make sure you’re able to manage the expenses. You can call us any time of the day at 1-833-624-1382.