Emergency Dental Care

As its name suggests, a dental emergency is serious and needs to be treated right away. Call us immediately at (909) 798-4800 if you break a tooth, lose a crown or notice swelling in your cheek or jaw. We’ll determine the urgency of your situation and will get you in for emergency care if needed, or let you know if you can wait.

What is a dental emergency?

Keep in mind you should not go to an emergency room for a dental emergency unless we recommend it (we usually only recommend the ER for head trauma, a broken jaw, or excessive bleeding). Call us first at (909) 798-4800 and we’ll make sure you get the best care as quickly as possible.

Severe toothaches that have lasted for a long time
A lost filling or crown
A cracked or fractured tooth
A chipped or broken tooth (although a partially chipped tooth with no pain is generally not considered an emergency)
A lost (or partially lost) or knocked out tooth
Abscesses and swelling inside or around your mouth or jaw
Discharge inside or around the mouth, likely due to infection
Damage to your tongue, cheeks, lips or gums
Treatment for cancer patients before, during, and after chemotherapy or radiation

Why You Should Avoid the ER for a Dental Emergency

A lot of emergency rooms don’t have the equipment to treat dental emergencies. They can help with pain, but pain isn’t the only thing involved with most dental emergencies. These include:

Pulling a tooth
Emergency root canals or other procedures
Repairing a lost or cracked filling
Fixing dentures, crowns or bridges
Repairing broken, chipped or lost teeth

If you’re not sure whether your issue is an emergency, call us (909) 798-4800. We’ll help you determine if you need immediate attention or if you can wait.

Dental Emergency FAQs

Until you can talk to us or see us, there are certain things you can do in an emergency dental situation that may help. If you’ve already talked to us, be sure to follow any instructions we gave you.

Broken, chipped or cracked tooth: rinsing your mouth with warm water and using a cold compress on your face can help. Wrap the tooth fragment in gauze (or a wet towel) and bring it with you.
Lost or knocked out tooth: gently insert the tooth back into its socket, if you can. Hold it in place at the top with a clean towel. Do not scrub the tooth or remove any attached tissue, although you may rinse it if it’s dirty. If you can’t get the tooth back into its socket, holding it under your tongue until you see us is a good idea.
Broken jaw: this is a job for the emergency room. Apply ice or a cold compress and get to the ER.

Bitten tongue or lip: Clean the bite and use a cold compress to reduce swelling, but if the bleeding is excessive, go to the ER.

We’re Ready to Help You

At Cajon Dental, everything we do is centered on you, your health and your experience.

Emergency Dental Care​