Our Chandler office is open Monday through Wednesday, and dental emergencies do not check the calendar. So this post does two jobs. It tells you what to do in the first hour after a knocked-out tooth, a broken tooth, a bad toothache, or swelling. And it tells you honestly what to do on the days the Riggs Road office is closed.
Step one: call
Monday through Wednesday, 7 AM to 3 PM, call Kokopelli Dentistry of Chandler at (480) 895-3252. We prioritize emergencies and will get you in as soon as we can. Call as soon as we open if it happened overnight.
Thursday and Friday, call our Ahwatukee office, Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, at (480) 283-0733. It is open Tuesday through Friday, 7 AM to 3 PM, on Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee, and it is the same practice, so you will be seen by our team.
For weekend care, Ahwatukee offers select Saturday appointments; call to confirm availability. On any other weekend day, leave a voicemail at either office and we will return your call when we reopen. If you have any of the ER signs below, go to the ER now.
A knocked-out permanent tooth
The clock is running. Reattaching works best within about 30 minutes.
- •Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root.
- •If it is dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or saline. No scrubbing, no soap, no tissue.
- •Put it back in the socket if you can, facing the right way, and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it.
- •If you cannot, keep it in milk. Saliva is second best. Not water.
- •Call and come in.
Baby teeth are different. Do not replant a baby tooth. Bring your child in so we can check the area and the neighboring teeth.
A broken tooth
Rinse with warm water. Press gauze on any bleeding. Save the pieces. Cover a sharp edge with dental wax or sugar-free gum so it does not cut your tongue, and chew on the other side.
A chip that does not hurt can wait for the next open day. A break that shows a pink or yellow center, or that zings with cold or air, needs to be seen quickly.
A severe toothache
Pain that wakes you up or throbs on its own usually means the nerve is inflamed or infected. Over-the-counter pain relievers as directed on the package can hold you over if you have no medical reason to avoid them. Warm salt water rinses help. Do not put aspirin on the gum. If the pain is paired with facial swelling, keep reading.
Swelling
A tender bump on the gum next to one tooth is usually an abscess. It needs to be drained and the tooth treated, and that is something we do in the office.
Swelling in the cheek, under the jaw, or under the eye, especially if it is growing, is a different level. Call right away. If any of the following are true, skip us and go to the ER.
When to go to the ER
Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 if you have:
- •Trouble breathing or swallowing, or you cannot open your mouth
- •Swelling spreading toward the eye or down the neck
- •High fever with facial swelling
- •Bleeding that will not stop after 15 minutes of firm pressure
- •A suspected broken jaw, or a head injury with confusion, vomiting, or loss of consciousness
The ER handles the infection or the injury. Then call us, because the tooth still needs a dentist.
What happens at the office
We get you comfortable first, then find the cause on the X-ray. Treatment might be a filling, a crown, a root canal, an extraction, or a splint for a replanted tooth. You see the X-ray, hear the options, and get a written estimate before we start. Most PPO insurance is accepted, and we file for you. More on emergency dentistry in Chandler.
Frequently asked questions
It is Thursday and my tooth hurts. Do I really have to drive to Ahwatukee?
You do not have to, but it is the fastest way to be seen by our team. If you would rather wait, call the Chandler line and leave a message, and we will schedule you for Monday. If the pain is severe or there is swelling, do not wait.
My child knocked out a tooth at practice. What now?
If it is a permanent tooth, follow the steps above and call. If it is a baby tooth, do not replant it, but do call so we can check for damage to the teeth coming in behind it.
Can urgent care help?
They can prescribe pain relief or antibiotics but cannot treat the tooth. Use them as a bridge if you cannot reach us, then call us.
Do I need to be an existing patient?
No. Call either office.
Next step
Monday through Wednesday, call Kokopelli Dentistry of Chandler at (480) 895-3252. Thursday or Friday, call Kokopelli Family and Cosmetic Dentistry in Ahwatukee at (480) 283-0733. Tell us what happened and we will tell you what to do next.
Disclaimer: This article is general information from Dr. Harveer Kaur and is not a substitute for a dental exam, diagnosis, or treatment. Every mouth is different. If you have a concern about your teeth or gums, call our Ahwatukee office at (480) 283-0733 or our Chandler office at (480) 895-3252 and we will help you sort it out.
Dr. Harveer Kaur, DDS, BDS
Dr. Kaur is the founder of Kokopelli Dentistry, serving patients in Ahwatukee and Chandler, Arizona. She focuses on family and cosmetic dentistry.
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