Dr. Olmos is the dentist and owner. She sees urgent visits herself, explains what she finds and what the choices are, and gives you the fee in writing first. She sees patients in English and Spanish.
General dentist · Amarillo, Texas
Tooth trouble? Call us first.
Call, tell us what happened, and we'll say what to do first and when we can see you. If it's a matter for the emergency room, we'll tell you that too.
Before you come in
What counts, and what to do first
If it isn't life-threatening, call us. This is what to do while you wait for us to pick up or for your visit.
A broken or chipped tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water and save any piece you can find. Hold a cold pack against your cheek, and call us.
A knocked-out tooth
Pick it up by the crown, not the root. If it's dirty, rinse it gently and don't scrub. Keep it in milk and call us right away.
A toothache that won't ease
Rinse with warm salt water and floss gently around the tooth. Don't put aspirin against the gum. Call us.
A swelling in the gum or face
Call us right away. If it spreads toward your eye or neck, or you have trouble breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room or call 911.
A lost filling or crown
Keep the crown if you have it, and call us. We'll tell you how to protect the tooth until your visit.
Bleeding after a cut or a blow
Press clean gauze on it for ten minutes. If it won't stop, or you hit your head hard, go to an emergency room or call 911.
- Swelling that spreads to your face, eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a serious blow to the head, or bleeding that won't stop needs emergency care now. Go to an emergency room or call 911. If a tooth is knocked out or broken, call our office right away.
Where to go
Our office or the emergency room
An emergency room can treat bleeding, a serious injury or an infection that is spreading. It usually can't repair a tooth. A dentist can.
| If you have | Call our office | Emergency room or 911 |
|---|---|---|
| A broken or knocked-out tooth | Call our officeCall us right away, and keep the tooth or the piece | Emergency room or 911Only if you are also bleeding heavily or hurt your head |
| A toothache | Call our officeCall us; we'll tell you what to do until your visit | Emergency room or 911If you also have a fever and swelling that is spreading |
| A swollen gum or cheek | Call our officeCall us and tell us how quickly it's growing | Emergency room or 911Go now if it reaches your eye or neck, or you can't swallow |
| Bleeding | Call our officeA little bleeding from a broken tooth: press gauze and call | Emergency room or 911Bleeding that won't stop after ten minutes of pressure |
| A blow to the head | Call our officeCall us about the tooth after you've been checked | Emergency room or 911Go first if you were knocked out, confused or sick to your stomach |
| Repairing the tooth | Call our officeThis is what we do here | Emergency room or 911They usually don't repair teeth; you'd still need a dentist |
An urgent visit
From the call to the chair
You don't have to be a patient to call.
- 01
Step 1: You call
A person answers during office hours. Tell us what happened, and what hurts or what broke.
- 02
Step 2: We tell you what to do first
Whether to come in, what to do with a piece of tooth, and when the emergency room is the better place.
- 03
Step 3: Dr. Olmos looks
She examines the tooth and the area around it, and takes an X-ray if she needs one. We numb the area before we work, and you can stop us any time.
- 04
Step 4: You hear the fee first
A written estimate comes before any treatment, urgent or not.
How fees work - 05
Step 5: You leave with a plan
Some problems are treated that day. Others are protected until the next visit. You'll know which, and you'll have after-care in writing.
Who answers
One dentist, and the people who pick up
A small office. The person on the phone is the person at the front desk.
Starla Merritt
Lead dental assistant
Starla sets up the room, works beside Dr. Olmos at the chair and goes over your after-care before you leave.
Khang Vu
Dental assistant
Khang helps at the chair and keeps the urgent-visit room stocked and ready.
Tonya Currie
Patient coordinator
Tonya answers the phone, finds the next opening, writes your estimate and checks your plan's benefits.
In patients' words
What patients tell us
“They picked up, listened and told me what to do first. I knew my next step before I hung up.”
Dorian B.Patient
“I had the fee in writing before anything started, and nobody rushed me.”
Josie H.Patient
“Dr. Olmos explained what she saw and what my choices were, in plain words.”
Sidney W.Patient
Sample reviews.
Before you call
Quick answers
Do I need to be a patient to call?
No. Call and tell us what happened. If we can see you, we'll tell you when.
Can you see me today?
We hold some openings each day for urgent visits when we can, and we can't promise one. Call and we'll tell you the next opening and what to do until then.
What if it's the middle of the night?
The office phone is answered during office hours. If it's night and the swelling is spreading, or you can't breathe or swallow, call 911 or go to an emergency room. Otherwise leave a message and we'll call back when the office opens.
Will I know what it costs first?
Yes. You get a written estimate before treatment, and we explain each step on it.
Call before you drive over
Tell us what happened and we'll say what to do first, and when we can see you.