Emergency Dentist – San Ramon, CA

Top-Rated Team of ER Dentists

Woman in yellow sweater holding her jaw in pain needing emergency dentist

What’s your plan for when a dental emergency occurs? Step one should always be to call Gale Ranch Family Dental to speak to our compassionate dental team. Once we have a firm grasp of your situation, we will make arrangements to have one of our San Ramon emergency dentists see you as soon as we can. You shouldn’t have to deal with oral pain or damaged teeth any longer than necessary; we’ll quickly figure out what your smile needs and put together a plan to help you regain your oral health.

Why Choose Gale Ranch Family Dental for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Emergency Care
  • Different Forms of Sedation
  • Compassionate, Trustworthy Team

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Young woman holding her jaw in pain while visiting San Ramon emergency dentist

While every dental emergency is different, we do tend to follow these four broad steps when it comes to treating them:

  • Same-Day Appointment: We are proud to offer same-day appointments for dental emergencies. While we’re setting up your visit, we may give you some tips for managing your pain on your own.
  • Emergency Exam: We can only treat your dental issue once we know what it is. As such, when you get to our office, we’ll complete a thorough examination of your smile.
  • Review Findings: Our team will review the underlying cause of your emergency as well as how severe it is. We will then explain what solutions are available, how long they will likely take, and how much you can expect to pay for them.
  • Get the Care You Deserve: No matter what kind of treatment you need, we will make our goal to complete it as quickly as possible.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

If you’re experiencing unusual or severe pain in your mouth, or if you have a tooth that has been visibly injured in some way, you may be in need of emergency dental care. Below are some common examples of emergency dental situations; as soon as you notice any of these symptoms, pick up the phone and call our San Ramon dental office.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? This might surprise you, but there are some cases where a toothache warrants an emergency visit, like if the pain has persisted for more than 24 hours, it hurts to bite down, or there is a pimple-like bump on your gums.

How You Should Handle a Toothache In addition to calling us to schedule an appointment, we recommend rinsing with warm saltwater periodically, not chewing on that side of your mouth, using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Toothaches The treatment we recommend will depend largely on two things: the culprit and the extent of the damage. Fortunately, our emergency dentist in San Ramon offers several restorative services at our office, including tooth-colored fillings and dental crowns.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Although it’s usually safe to wait a day or two, we do recommend scheduling a same-day appointment with us if the chip is substantial or you’re dealing with considerable sensitivity. That way, we can restore the missing structure before it gets worse.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth First, use clean, room-temperature water to gently rinse your mouth. If you have the broken piece of your tooth, place it in a small, clean container for safekeeping as well. Covering the sharp edge with some dental wax or sugar-free gum is also a good idea since it will help protect the soft tissue in your mouth.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Once you arrive at our office and we’ve had a chance to examine your tooth, we can review your treatment options, including direct bonding and veneers. Ultimately, the one that’s best for you will depend on a few factors, including the size of the chip.

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Even a relatively small crack can quickly result in an infection (not to mention further damage to the tooth). That’s why we advise against taking the “wait and see” approach. Instead, call us ASAP to schedule an emergency appointment!

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth It’s important that you get to our office as soon as you can for the necessary restorative care. In the meantime, don’t chew on that side of your mouth, avoid crunchy, acidic, and sugary foods, and rinse periodically with clean, room-temperature water.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth First, we need to examine your tooth and determine if it can be saved. If it can, then a dental crown can protect it from harm moving forward. If it can’t, then we will need to extract it to alleviate your pain and restore your oral health. Don’t worry – we will also fill the open space with a dental bridge or implant so you aren’t left with an incomplete smile moving forward.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Knocked-Out Tooth

Lost Filling or Crown

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Man smiling at dental office receptionist

Some toothaches can be remedied with fillings while others require root canal treatment. In other words, the kind of treatment you need can vary depending on the nature of your dental emergency – and the same goes for the cost. There’s no way to know how much you can expect to pay for emergency dental care until after we’ve examined your mouth, but rest assured that an estimate will be provided so that you can make an informed decision about your treatment.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Man flossing his teeth

It’s easier to avoid dental emergencies if you’re diligent about taking care of your smile. To keep your teeth and gums safe, we recommend that you:

  • Brush at least two times a day (or three times a day if possible).
  • Floss daily to remove plaque from the spaces between your teeth.
  • Eat fewer sugary foods and more smile-friendly options like crunchy fruits and vegetables.
  • Get a mouthguard if you play sports.
  • Use scissors instead of your teeth to open packages.
  • Visit us twice a year for dental checkups and cleanings.