Emergency Dentistry in Glendale, CA

Dental emergencies happen to all of us at one time or another, and these scary and often-painful situations need immediate attention. In our Glendale, CA dental office, we respond to dental emergencies as quickly as possible.

When you come into our office for emergency treatment, Dr. Lucio Kim's immediate focus will be relieving your pain and saving your smile. Our Glendale office sets time aside daily to treat potential dental emergencies, and we have a plan in place for after-hours emergencies, too.

If you need emergency dentistry in Glendale and it is after hours, contact our dental office at (818) 242-3739. From there, follow the prompts and a member of our caring team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

However, if you’ve been in an accident or suffered a trauma, head to your nearest emergency room, we encourage you or a companion to contact our dental office from there.

Quick Facts: Emergency Dentistry at a Glance

At Lucio H. Kim, DDS, we define dental emergencies as one or more of the following:

• Severe tooth pain and jaw pain
• Swelling of the mouth, lips, or jaw
• Gum and pulpal abscesses 
• Cracked or broken teeth
• Bleeding
• Broken dental restoration or filling
• A broken dental crown, filling, or veneer
• Broken braces
• Toothache

However, there is always a gray area. If you’re not sure whether your situation is an emergency, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible. Our dental team can assess your situation and make the appropriate recommendations. 

Recommendations may include coming into our Glendale dental office immediately or scheduling an appointment within 48-72 hours.

If our team notes that you do not have a fever or pain, scheduling an appointment is more likely. However, if you have pain, swelling, or your situation is deemed an emergency by our team, Lucio H. Kim, DDS will want to see you promptly!

How We Treat Dental Emergencies at Our Glendale, CA Office

The way we treat your dental emergency depends on the nature of your situation. If you have swelling, for example, but no noticeable signs of infection, we generally take x-rays. Sometimes, we also take x-rays to gauge the severity of a noticeable infection. We use digital x-rays and all the latest technologies to make a fast and accurate diagnosis.

If your situation warrants it, or there is no danger to your oral health, we treat the source of your pain and schedule a follow-up appointment to complete your dental work.

During the treatment of a dental emergency, our Glendale emergency dentist is focused on saving or fixing your teeth, and alleviating your pain quickly.  

Often, with prompt dental intervention, a lost tooth can be saved and reattached. It requires a skilled emergency dentist, and for several actions to be taken as soon as the tooth falls out.

Here is what you should do in the first moments after losing a tooth:

• Pick up the tooth but avoid touching the root if possible
• Rinse the tooth gently with water
• Try to reposition the tooth in the socket quickly
• Keep the tooth wet or moist with milk, water or saliva
• See our emergency dentist as soon as possible

Dr Kim will work hard to save your tooth, and he will immediately recommend a custom treatment plan that is tailored to your situation. Knocked out teeth, cracked teeth, and broken teeth can often be saved with emergency dentistry, as long as they are treated quickly and have not sustained too much damage. The treatment options we offer in Glendale for a cracked tooth will differ depending on the severity of your situation. Regardless, it is always a good idea to contact our office if you do crack your tooth. 

If a tooth is too damaged to save, or if too much time has passed, Dr. Kim will perform an emergency tooth extraction. After the tooth extraction, we will recommend several different options to replace the tooth and restore your smile. Dental implants are a common and effective option that keep your teeth from shifting toward the empty tooth socket, and keep your bite strong.

A dental implant is a thin titanium post that replaces your root and eventually hosts a life-like tooth restoration.

Generally, if you have a small chip or crack in your tooth and there is no pain, swelling or fever, you can schedule a time-sensitive appointment with our Glendale dental office. However, if you have pain and swelling, you should call our dental office immediately. It is possible that you need root canal treatment to save a tooth that has been infected.

If you decide to wait out a minor tooth chip for a day or two, make sure to keep the tooth clean and avoid food that requires chewing. A chipped or cracked tooth invites bacteria and infection. If left untreated, infected teeth can eventually cause serious health issues. These issues can often be avoided by a simple and pain-free root canal treatment or emergency tooth extraction from an emergency dentist. 

At Lucio H. Kim, DDS, if you’re in doubt, call us. We don’t want you to risk tooth loss or wait when you have an infection that could spread. 

Do You Help with Pain Relief?

Yes, our top priorities during your dental emergency are to relieve your tooth pain and save your smile. We can keep your mouth numb while our emergency dentist addresses your dental issue.

For emergencies that require a follow-up, our emergency dentist can offer suggestions and tell you how to treat pain at home, too.

At Lucio H. Kim, DDS, we don’t like to see our patients in pain!

I was Involved in an accident, and My Mouth Hurts. Can You Help Me?

Our dentist is highly skilled in emergency dentistry. However, if you’ve suffered a trauma, we want to make sure you’re safe! If you have been in an accident, go to your local emergency room first. It is important to rule out serious bodily injuries. You can contact us from the emergency room following emergency treatment.

If you have a minor crack or chip in your tooth, it may be okay to wait a day or two. However, we don’t recommend waiting a week to see our Glendale dentist. A week provides an opportunity for severe dental infections and may lead to a true emergency.

If the chip or crack is minor and you have no pain or swelling, we recommend keeping the area clean and switching to soft foods to prevent further breakage. However, if you have a significant crack or chip, we think this is a dental emergency. If a tooth is cracked all the way up to the root, it can quickly become infected and die. 

When in doubt, always contact our Glendale dental office so that we can recommend a treatment plan for your cracked tooth.

Avoiding Dental Emergencies

There are a few different types of dental emergencies, but what they usually share in common is tooth pain and swelling in the mouth, face or jaw. Dental pain can often stem from infection.

The most common dental emergencies we treat at Lucio H. Kim, DDS, are dental infections. Our Glendale dentist recommends preventative care to avoid infections that can lead to dental emergencies. 

Preventative care includes:

• Brushing and flossing regularly—at least twice per day
• Avoiding sugary foods and beverages
• Visiting our Glendale dental office regularly
• Having professional teeth cleanings at least every six months

When you have a healthy oral care routine at home and visit our skilled hygienist regularly, this significantly reduces your risk for a dental infection.

Our hygienist uses special tools to clean close to the gumline and can remove tartar and bacteria that your toothbrush and dental floss miss.

Also, our top Glendale dentist can recognize an underlying infection, small cavity, and periodontal disease early and take proactive measures to save your teeth and stave off a future emergency.

If you play sports, always wear the proper face gear to protect your teeth and gums from injury. If you grind your teeth, make sure you wear a nightguard. Teeth grinding erodes enamel, and this makes your teeth vulnerable to bacteria, which leads to infection and dental emergencies.

Does a Dental Emergency Mean My Teeth Are Weak?

Not necessarily, but issues like periodontal disease can cause your gums to recede and make you more vulnerable to toothaches, dental infections, and tooth loss. To avoid the emergency toothaches and tooth loss that comes with periodontal disease, it’s crucial to have periodontal disease treatments in our Glendale dental office.

Also, failed root canals are prone to infection and can weaken teeth. Sometimes, Lucio H. Kim, DDS recommends a dental crown to strengthen a weak tooth. This prevents breakage, infections, and dental emergencies.

Recurring dental infections can weaken your teeth because it may be a sign of periodontal disease, a failed root canal or a sign that you need professional teeth cleaning in our Glendale dental office.

Scheduling and keeping regular dental appointments is the best way to keep your teeth strong and viable.