Can you call 911 for a dental emergency

If you experience a dental emergency, be sure to call our practice as soon as possible. If you need immediate attention after hours, call our emergency phone number and our on-call staff member will help you. If you are unable to reach our office during an emergency, dial 911.

We are here to help you, any time, any day. When your dental health is at risk, we will do everything we can to make sure that you're treated as soon as possible. While dental emergencies are rare, they can happen, and it's important to know how to take care of your teeth no matter what. Common dental emergencies include:

  • Broken or cracked tooth/teeth
  • Broken jaw
  • Permanent tooth knocked out
  • Object caught between teeth
  • Severe toothache

Can you call 911 for a dental emergency

A dental emergency is any event in which damage to the teeth occurs and the patient needs urgent care. While a dental emergency may have never happened to you, it could happen in the future.

Some things are too pressing to wait for an appointment. How do you know if you need to call for help? Who do you call? How can you be prepared?

Some frequent questions individuals may have in a dental emergency:

  • “Is this serious enough, can’t we treat it at home for now?”
  • “Should I call 911?”
  • “How can I help at the moment?”

How to know if it is a dental emergency and when to seek help

If you are experiencing any of the following, call Montz and Maher Dental Group:

  • A knocked-out tooth
  • A broken tooth
  • An abscess with pus
  • Unexplained severe mouth pain
  • Persistent bleeding of the mouth

Should I call 911 for a dental emergency?

If you suspect you are dealing with a potential dental emergency, stay calm. In the heat of the moment, a person’s instinct may be to call 911. However, paramedics and dentists would encourage you to analyze the situation.

Dental emergencies are serious. Dental offices are for an oral emergency. If you need treatment, dentists are the experts for the job. Act fast and responsibly.

Calling 911 may ultimately waste your time in getting the help you need. The police cannot help in dental matters and paramedics are not dentists. They can help if you have a non-dental medical emergency, but not if it is a dental-specific issue.

What should you do instead?

Instead, call Montz and Maher Dental Group. We will help you over the phone. We can talk you through your situation to identify and diagnose the problem. No prior appointment is needed. We will determine the best course of action and set up a time for you to come in for treatment.

Montz and Maher Dental Group is here for you when you have a dental emergency

When it comes to your smile, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Obtaining immediate assistance is the first step in addressing the situation. When you call Montz and Maher Dental Group, a dental professional will advise you over the phone. Do not hesitate. The consequences of untreated emergencies can leave permanent damage. Some serious dental infections can even threaten your life if not treated.

Our contact information is below. Save our number in your phone contacts so you will be prepared in the unfortunate event that you go through a dental emergency.

Contact Montz and Maher Dental Group:

832-895-5120

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

820 S Friendswood Ste 100
Friendswood, Texas
77546

ArticleID 8544

Can you call 911 for a dental emergency

Oof! You were just trying to eat some yummy popcorn while watching your favorite movie. Suddenly that crown pops off!

Or your little hockey champ was just about to make the winning goal but a defending hockey stick had different ideas. Blood on the ice!

Dental emergencies take on lots of different forms, and require quick thinking to determine the best way to handle them.

But how do you determine what constitutes an actual dental emergency?*

The following is a short list of symptoms that fit the bill:

  • Bleeding that will not stop
  • A missing or loose permanent tooth
  • An injured jaw
  • Extreme toothache
  • Painful swelling
  • Suspected abscess (especially if accompanied by fever, swelling, and difficulty swallowing)

If you have any of these symptoms, call your dentist right away. Even after-hours or on the weekend, your dentist should have an emergency line (listed on their website or voicemail message).

If you cannot reach your dentist, try another in your area or head to an emergency room. If you are unable to find transportation to the emergency room, call 911.

*Please note, a dental emergency that requires a visit to your dentist is different than a life-threatening emergency. If the wounded is experiencing unbearable pain, is unconscious, is bleeding profusely, or has difficulty breathing due to other injuries, call 911 immediately.

Symptoms that could wait a day or two until your dentist’s regular hours?

  • Dull toothache
  • Lost filling, crown or bridge (not accompanied by unbearable pain)
  • Broken or chipped tooth (not accompanied by unbearable pain)
  • Any other mild irritation

What to do before going in

When on the phone with your dentist, they will likely recommend some measures to take before you come in. This can include taking a pain-relieving drug, applying a cold compress to reduce swelling, and locating any missing fragments of tooth or dental appliances.

In some cases, the only way a tooth can be preserved is by following your dentist’s orders and getting seen as soon as possible.

When you visit your dentist, you will get either emergency treatment or a treatment plan with a temporary solution to return you back to a non-emergency state. Odds are, your dentist has seen your injury before and will know just what to do or whom to refer you to.

When in doubt, get checked out 

We know you can feel silly crying wolf just to be told what you’re experiencing isn’t an emergency. But it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our health. Heck — maybe you’ll even get a sticker or door prize out of your visit. That always makes things better, right?

Can you call 911 for a severe toothache?

Police will only help you with an ambulance that can facilitate your transport to the medical facility. However, calling 911 should only be reserved for extreme cases of dental emergencies. Some of the dental emergencies that could justify calling 911 include knocked out a tooth.

Can the ER do anything for tooth pain?

If it's something where the pain is so severe, you just cannot get it under control, you can come to the ER. Just keep in mind we won't be able to do a whole lot more than maybe put you on some antibiotics to cool down that infection in your tooth, get you some pain medication, get you feeling a little better.

Can the ER help with tooth infection?

Dental Treatment in the Emergency Room The ER staff can get patients stabilized, control bleeding, and give treatment for dental fractures. In the case of bacterial infections, they can provide antibiotics and will arrange for transfer to the hospital if necessary.

What dental procedures are considered emergency?

In general, any dental problem that needs immediate treatment to stop bleeding, alleviate severe pain, or save a tooth is considered an emergency. This also applies to severe infections that can be life-threatening.