Emergency Dental Care in Meyerland, Southwest Houston
A cracked tooth or a sudden toothache does not wait for a convenient day. If you are in pain right now, call 713-723-7200 and tell us what happened. Dr. Chiranjeevi Tummala keeps room in the daily schedule for urgent cases, so patients in Meyerland, Bellaire and southwest Houston do not have to wait weeks for an opening. Our office is at 4455 N Braeswood Blvd #201, Houston, TX 77096.
When you call, describe the tooth, the pain and when it started. That short conversation tells us how quickly you need to be here and what to do in the meantime. Not sure whether what you are dealing with counts? Our guide to telling a dental emergency from a problem that can wait walks through the signs.
Emergency Dental Services We Provide in Southwest Houston
Toothaches
A tooth that aches all night, throbs when you lie down or reacts to hot coffee is usually telling you the nerve is inflamed or an infection has started. We find the source with an exam and an x-ray, then treat it that visit where we can. Depending on what we find, that may mean a filling, a non-surgical root canal, or draining an infection before it spreads.
Broken or Chipped Teeth
Chips from biting something hard are often smoothed and rebuilt the same visit with bonding. A deeper fracture that reaches the nerve needs more, and the sooner you are in the chair, the more options you have for saving the tooth. Bring any piece that broke off, keep it in milk, and stay off that side until we see you.
Lost Fillings or Crowns
A crown that comes off leaves the prepared tooth underneath exposed, and it will be sensitive to air and cold. Keep the crown and do not try to reseat it with household glue. In many cases an emergency dentist can clean and recement the same crown rather than starting the restoration over, which is faster and keeps the tooth covered.
Abscesses
Swelling in the gum or the face, a bad taste, or a pimple-like bump near the root all point to an abscess. Dental infections do not clear up on their own, and they can move into the jaw and neck, so this is the category we want to see fastest. Call the office the day you notice it, even if the pain has eased off. An emergency dentist can relieve the pressure and start treatment the same day.
Dental Trauma
A tooth knocked out in a fall or a sports injury has its best chance if it is back in the socket within about an hour. Pick it up by the crown and not the root, rinse it gently with milk or water, and either slip it back into the socket or keep it in milk on the way here. If the jaw itself may be broken, go to a hospital emergency room first.
Why Patients in Southwest Houston Call Us First
- Emergencies get worked into the day. We hold time in the schedule for urgent cases instead of booking every appointment weeks out.
- Treated here, not sent across town. Dr. Tummala and our dental team handle the problem in our office, so you are not driving between dentists while a tooth hurts.
- We are close by. Our office is at 4455 N Braeswood Blvd #201, Houston, TX 77096, minutes from Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury and Willow Meadows, with parking at the door.
- Comfort during the visit. Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are available for patients who are anxious or arriving in a lot of pain.
- A plan you can act on. Once the urgent problem is handled, we go over your options for restoring the tooth, whether that is a crown, a bridge, an extraction or a dental implant, and what each one involves.
What to Do Before You Reach Our Office
The first hour matters, and there are a few things you can do on the way.
- Pain and swelling: hold a cold compress against the outside of the cheek, twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off. Over-the-counter pain relief taken as directed on the label keeps most patients comfortable until they are seen. Never hold aspirin against the gum, because it burns the tissue.
- A knocked-out tooth: keep it wet. Milk is better than water, and your own saliva is better than letting the root dry out.
- Bleeding: fold clean gauze, bite down with steady pressure for ten to fifteen minutes, and resist checking it every minute.
- A cracked tooth or a lost crown: chew on the other side and stay away from very hot and very cold food and drink.
Call 713-723-7200 while you are doing any of this. We would rather talk you through the next step than have you guess at it.
When to Go to a Hospital Emergency Room Instead
A dental office is the right place for almost every tooth problem, and it is usually the faster route to having the tooth actually fixed. There are a few situations where a hospital comes first.
Go to an emergency room if you have swelling that is closing an eye or making it hard to swallow or breathe, bleeding that will not slow down after fifteen minutes of firm pressure, or a suspected broken jaw or head injury.
Hospital emergency rooms in Texas are not generally staffed with dentists. They can manage pain and treat spreading infections, and then they send you to an emergency dentist to repair or remove the tooth. If you have already been to an ER and were told to follow up, bring the paperwork with you and call us to get in.
Emergency Dentist for Meyerland, Bellaire and Southwest Houston
Meyerland Family Dentistry has cared for families in this part of Houston, TX for years, and emergency dental care is part of what we do every week. Patients reach us easily from Meyerland, Bellaire, Westbury, Willow Meadows, Braeburn and the 77096, 77035 and 77025 ZIP codes, and we also see patients driving in from Memorial, Alief, Pearland, Pasadena and Fresno.
Our emergency dental services cover the problems that send people looking for a dentist the same day: teeth that ache or throb, teeth that are cracked, chipped or knocked out, crowns and fillings that come loose, abscesses and swollen gums, and injuries to the teeth and jaw. We also care for children’s teeth when a fall or a sports injury happens on a weekend.
If you are not currently a patient here, that is fine. Call 713-723-7200, describe what is happening, and we will get you in for emergency dental care as quickly as the schedule allows.
Call Our Meyerland Emergency Dentist
Call 713-723-7200 to reach an emergency dentist in Meyerland and tell us what is going on with the tooth. If we are closed, leave a message with a number where we can reach you and we will get back to you about the next available appointment. You can also request a visit online.
Emergency dental care in Houston, TX is easier on you and on your teeth the sooner it happens. Dental problems rarely settle down on their own. A tooth that is still treatable this week can turn into a bigger procedure next week, so it is worth making the call today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a dental emergency?
Call us if you have tooth pain that will not settle, swelling in your face or gums, a tooth that has been knocked out or pushed out of position, bleeding that will not stop, or a broken tooth with a sharp edge cutting your mouth. A lost filling or crown is worth a call too, since the tooth underneath is exposed. If you are not sure, call us at 713-723-7200 or book an appointment and describe what happened. We would rather hear from you.
My tooth just got knocked out. What do I do right now?
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the chewing part, and avoid touching the root. If it is dirty, rinse it gently with milk or water, but do not scrub it or use soap. If you can, put it back in the socket and hold it there. If you cannot, keep it in a cup of milk, or tucked inside your cheek. Do not let it dry out. Then call us straight away, because time matters a great deal with a knocked out tooth.
What can I do about the pain until I get in?
Rinse with warm salt water, and use a cold compress against the outside of your cheek for the swelling. You can take an over the counter pain reliever, following the directions on the package. Do not put aspirin directly against the gum or tooth, which is an old remedy that can burn the tissue. Try to chew on the other side until we see you.
Should I go to the emergency room instead?
Go to the emergency room, or call 911, if you have swelling that is affecting your breathing or swallowing, bleeding you cannot get under control, or a suspected broken jaw. Those need a hospital. For most other dental problems, including bad toothaches and broken teeth, a dental office is the better place to go, because a hospital usually cannot treat the tooth itself.
Is a chipped tooth an emergency?
It depends on the chip. A small chip with no pain can usually wait for a regular appointment. Call us sooner if the tooth hurts, if it is sensitive to hot or cold, if the edge is cutting your tongue or cheek, or if you can see a pink or red spot in the middle of the break, which can mean the inner part of the tooth is exposed.
What should I bring to an emergency dental visit?
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card if you have one, and a list of any medicines you take, including blood thinners. If a piece of tooth or a crown came loose, bring it with you in a small container of milk. If you were seen at an emergency room first, bring the discharge paperwork and any x-rays they gave you.