Emergency Dentist in Lomita Torrance, CA
If you are having a dental emergency and need help, call our emergency hotline now!
EMERGENCY HOTLINE 424-201-2188
Lomita Torrance Dental is here for the community. As the largest dental healthcare provider in the area, the dental practice assures community members that they can be counted on for dental emergencies. Lomita Torrance Dental has committed to keeping offices throughout the Torrance Area open to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since mid-March, all routine hygiene and elective dental procedure services have been put on hold and Lomita Torrance Dental Office continually monitors information that becomes available from the CDC, government officials, and the ADA.
“The safety of our patients, staff, and community is of utmost importance” states Dr. Teboul. “It is our responsibility to continue to provide emergency dental care during this time, not only to support our community but to also ease the strain on ERs to allow them to focus on treating those in critical care.”
By eliminating hygiene visits during this epidemic and only offering emergency care, Lomita Torrance Dental is accomplishing the following:
- Helping slow the spread of COVID-19
- Preserving the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for more emergent medical and dental procedures
- Minimizing long-term impact on the community at large
- Encouraging patients to stay out of ERs for dental emergencies, thereby allowing ER doctors and other staff to focus on treating other life-threatening conditions
With our state of the art equipment, experience and technology, we can diagnose your condition, perform multiple IN OFFICE procedures, administer antibiotics and anesthetics to get you out of pain in about an hour.
We can handle almost all dental emergencies and get you out of pain quickly.
After an examination and digital X-rays we will inform you of what options you have to relieve your pain or problem and get you back to your normal routine as soon as possible.
What Can we do for you IN OUR OFFICE to relive your pain or problem quickly?
- Administer ANTIBIOTICS.
- Administer ANESTHETICS to numb the area in pain.
- TOOTH EXTRACTIONS. Including most wisdom teeth.
- Repair or replace BROKEN TEETH.
- Drain an INFECTION and SWELLING. And irrigate with intraoral antibiotics.
- Complete ROOT CANAL or a temporary Root canal
- RECEMENT CROWNS, BRIDGE, or VENEERS.
- Fabricate TEMPORARY CROWNS, BRIDGES or VENEERS
- Repair IMPLANTS or broken screws
- REIMPLANT AVULSED TEETH. This is a tooth that has fallen out of the socket due to trauma. This procedure must be done in about 1-2 hrs from the time of trauma. Time is of the essence.
- Remove SHARP EDGES of broken teeth or dentures
- Repair a BROKEN DENTURE.
- Repair or replace a BROKEN DENTURE TOOTH.
- SPLINT teeth. Usually performed to stabilize loose and mobile teeth or avulsed teeth.
- Repair BROKEN intraoral RETAINORS and splints.
- Fabricate NIGHT GUARDS. May take 2 or more days to deliver.
- And more….
Note: Most Emergency dental procedures can be dealt with in an office setting, We check your vital signs, Take your temperature, Blood pressure and review your medical health history. If we feel that you may be medically at risk for in an office procedure, we will recommend that you go to the ER. This is not different than what any medical doctor or urgent care doctor would recommend you do. Our experience, training and education in dental procedures and emergencies helps us determine what is best for you. We can do this possibly better than what a medical doctor can do for you only because medical doctors, although highly knowledgable, they have less training and experience when it comes to dental/oral procedures.
Should you be confronted with a dental emergency, it is imperative that you contact your dentist and get treated immediately. Keep in mind, time is of the essence in most of these situations; delaying a much-needed dental appointment or treatment may lead to further complications and more expensive treatments.
We treat all of our patients with the same care and compassion and believe everyone deserves to smile.
Useful Tips During Dental Emergencies
In case of a dental emergency, it is imperative that you stay calm. Next, see an emergency dentist right away. Remember, dental emergencies, especially those involving trauma to the jaws, gums or teeth, demand immediate expert care and treatment. Delays in addressing these emergencies may lead to complications or permanent damage to the areas involved. Additionally, treating these cases later on can mean bigger expenses on your part as they would require costly treatments.
Here are some tips for common dental emergencies:
- If your tooth has fallen out in one piece due to a traumatic injury if you can, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. If that’s not possible, place it in between your cheek and gums or place in milk. If the tooth has debris rinse gently without touching the root in warm water or milk. Then, get to our office right away.
- For a cracked tooth, immediately rinse the mouth with warm salt water to clean the area. Put cold compresses on the face to keep any swelling down
- If you bite your tongue or lip, clean the area gently with water and apply a cold compress.
- For toothaches, rinse the mouth with warm salt water to clean it out. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between the teeth.
- If your crown has fallen off, you need to see your dentist within 48 hours to have your crown evaluated and possibly re-cemented. Teeth with missing crowns can start to move out of their original position making it difficult to re-use the original crown.
Teeth-Related Emergencies
Wisdom Tooth Pain / Infection
An infection in your wisdom teeth can prove painful and even potentially dangerous.
Symptoms of a wisdom tooth infection
- The most common sign of a wisdom tooth infection is pain in the area. In some cases, infected wisdom teeth may also cause pain in the entire jaw, neck and throat, as well as headaches.
- Along with the pain, a wisdom tooth infection might also cause sore throats and swollen lymph glands just under the jaw. Swelling of the face and jaw, pus drainage and the presence of a bad smell or taste in your mouth are other common signs of infected wisdom teeth. You may also find it very difficult to chew or eat.
- If you suspect that one of your wisdom teeth is infected, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible.
- Your wisdom teeth can become infected primarily because of their position in the mouth.
- They’re often very hard to reach with your toothbrush and floss, which means they’re frequently neglected or not properly cleaned. This can cause food, plaque and other debris to accumulate on and between the teeth, promoting bacteria growth.
- Sometimes, a wisdom tooth doesn’t erupt fully. When this happens, the tooth may be covered partially with a flap of gum tissue, which can also trap food, plaque and bacteria, resulting in a wisdom tooth infection.
Chipped Tooth
A chipped tooth is rarely a dental emergency. You may opt to see your dentist a few days after the incident. However, taking precautions, particularly being extra careful when chewing, is essential not to damage the tooth further. While a chipped tooth does not result in bleeding of the gums or tooth displacement, it may trigger an irritation in the tongue or cheek due to the chipped edges.
To remedy the problem, your dentist may try to restore the normal contour and protect the pulp of the tooth by placing a crown or dental filling on it.
Cracked and Broken Tooth
Situations involving cracked or broken teeth are different. They are dental emergencies. When faced with this kind of situation, the first thing you must do is to stop any bleeding in the gums by rinsing your mouth with warm water and applying pressure on the area with clean gauze. If the incident is caused by facial trauma, apply something cold, and compress the affected area can lessen any swelling. Taking acetaminophen may be done to ease the pain.
In case of a broken tooth, locate the broken piece or pieces of the tooth and immediately put it in a glass of milk or water. See your dentist immediately! Remember, in this case, it’s not wise to delay your dental appointment especially if you experience sensitivity or pain. Oftentimes, sensitivity is an indication that there is an exposed root. When left untreated, this can result in root damage. Consequently, a damaged root would require a root canal therapy.
Loose Tooth
Using your finger and with very light pressure, try putting the tooth back in its original position. It is important not to force it, though. To keep the tooth from moving, you can bite down. See your dentist right away, preferably within six hours, for best results.
Lost Filling or Crown
A lost filling may be accompanied by pain. This is due to ‘dental tubules’ or dental nerves being exposed and coming into contact with air. To relieve the pain, apply a little clove oil on the sensitive area. Placing an ice pack on the painful area may also help.
Meanwhile, if you still have the filling, put it in a safe place and bring it to your dentist. To rid yourself of discomfort, get a tooth wax or cement from the pharmacy and use it to fill the hole in your tooth.
For cases involving a dislodged crown, try to slip the crown back into its place until you see your dentist. How should you do it? Start by cleaning the inside of the crown and removing any debris present. Next, coat the crown’s inside with tooth dental cement (available in a pharmacy) and slip it back in place. Other alternatives to dental cement are denture adhesive and toothpaste. Do NOT use other household adhesives or glues. These products aren’t safe to put in your mouth and may damage the tooth and crown.
Keep in mind, the aforementioned things are just temporary solutions. It is still imperative that you see your dentist immediately when confronted with these situations.
Toothache
Take the necessary steps to ensure that your mouth is clean. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Floss to get rid of any food lodged between the teeth or under the gum line. Take prescribed pain medications. If the ache persists, contact your dentist right away.
Emergencies Involving The Gums and Soft Tissues
Bitten Tongue, Lip or Cheek
A cut less than ¼ inch typically heals on its own. To ensure the healing of the affected area, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water. This helps keep the mouth sanitize and prevents further problems brought about by bacteria getting into the sore area. Rinsing every 20-30 minutes on the first day is highly recommended. Continue rinsing as often as possible until the wound completely heals. Applying cold compress on the affected area may also minimize swelling.
On the other hand, it’s best to see your dentist immediately when faced with the following situations:
* the cut is bigger than ¼ inch
* bleeding on the affected area persists longer than 10 minutes
* biting into your tongue
* tooth gets lodged deeply into your lips or cheek
Burned Roof of Mouth
While sores and blisters resulting from eating very hot food typically heal on their own, they usually cause discomfort. To ease the pain, you can take acetaminophen. Another option is to apply a topical oral anesthetic on the affected area. To keep the area clean, rinse with warm salt water after every meal. If the sores or blisters do not heal after 10 days, give your dentist a call.
Gum Pain, Swelling or Abscess
Gum pain or swelling may indicate the presence of an abscess (infection) in the gum tissue or the tooth’s root and its surrounding areas. This condition should be brought to the attention of your dentist immediately as severe infection or abscess in the mouth can be life-threatening. Furthermore, identifying the underlying cause of the pain, swelling or abscess requires thorough dental examination.
A ruptured abscess is usually followed by a sudden flow of malodorous and foul-tasting fluid. Should you experience this, immediately rinse your mouth with warm water.
Orthodontic Emergencies
Broken Braces or Wires Sticking Out
Try to push the wire flat against the tooth with the help of a Q-tip or a pencil eraser. If repositioning the wire isn’t feasible, you can just opt to cover the end with dental/orthodontic wax which you can purchase over-the-counter at the pharmacy. Lastly, give your orthodontist a call.
Loose Brackets and Bands
Try to turn back any loose bracket into its normal position. For loose braces, you may temporarily re-attach them or minimize their movement using a small piece of dental/orthodontic wax. Problems involving loose bands are typically resolved by re-cementing or replacing them. It is important to note that, regardless of the actions you take in these situations, calling your orthodontist right away should remain on top your list.
Lost Wire or Ligature
Use sterile tweezers and attempt to put the rubber ligature back in place. Schedule an appointment with your orthodontist.
Piece of Dental Appliance Swallowed or Inhaled
Seek immediate medical intervention. Go to the hospital emergency room and get treated!
Food Trapped Between Teeth
This is not a dental emergency and can easily be resolved with the help of a dental floss, a toothpick or an interproximal brush.
Other Dental Emergencies
Severe Pain
There are various causes of dental-related pain with the common culprits being infection, debris lodged under the gum line, cracked or broken tooth or dislodged crown or filling. Determining the underlying cause of the severe pain necessitates a thorough dental examination. So, set an appointment with your dentist right away. Meanwhile, to temporarily ease the pain, you can take acetaminophen. Do NOT use aspirin or ibuprofen as they can cause excessive bleeding. Applying ice on the affected area for 10-20 minutes may also soothe the pain.
When you have a dental emergency, it’s important that you see your dentist or visit an emergency room as soon as possible.
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please visit Emergency Offices to view a complete list of open offices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lomita Torrance Dental Office looks forward to restoring full-service dental services as soon as it is safe to do so and continues to be here for the community’s dental emergencies.
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