Emergency visits
Dental emergencies
Call first. We'll tell you what to do and when we can see you.
Dr. Olmos sees urgent problems at this office: a broken or knocked-out tooth, a toothache that won't ease, a swelling in the gum, a lost filling or crown. You don't need to be a patient.
We hold some openings each day for urgent visits when we can. We can't promise one. When you call we'll tell you the next opening, and what to do until then. Our hours are on the contact page, and the phone is answered during them.
- 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.
Before you come in
What counts, and what to do first
If it isn't life-threatening, call us. Here is what to do first for each.
A broken or chipped tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water and save any piece you find. Hold a cold pack against your cheek.
Keep the piece in milk or a clean, damp cloth
Don't glue it back
A knocked-out tooth
Time matters. Pick the tooth up by the crown and not the root, rinse it gently if it's dirty, and keep it in milk. Call us right away.
Don't scrub it or wipe off tissue
If it's a child's baby tooth, don't push it back in
A toothache that won't ease
Rinse with warm salt water and floss gently to clear anything stuck. A cold pack on the cheek can help.
Don't put aspirin against the gum
Tell us if you have a fever
A swelling in the gum or face
Call us right away. A swelling can mean an infection, and an infection can spread.
Spreading toward your eye or neck: call 911
Trouble breathing or swallowing: call 911
A lost filling or crown
Keep the crown if you have it. Avoid chewing on that side and call us.
Bring the crown with you
We'll tell you how to protect the tooth
Bleeding after a cut or a blow
Press clean gauze on the spot for ten minutes without lifting it to look.
Bleeding that won't stop: emergency room or 911
A hard blow to the head: emergency room or 911
At the visit
How an urgent visit works
What happens
A few questions, an exam of the tooth and the area around it, and an X-ray if Dr. Olmos needs one. Most urgent problems take one or two visits to finish.
Comfort
We numb the area before we work. Tell us what hurts, and raise your hand any time you want us to stop.
If you wait
Some problems get worse the longer they wait, and some don't. Dr. Olmos tells you which she thinks yours is, and you decide.
Risks and after-care
Every treatment has risks, and she explains them first. You leave with written after-care and a number to call if it gets worse.
How it's billed
You get the fee in writing before treatment, and a receipt after. We file claims for many PPO plans.
How fees workWho provides care
Dr. Valeria Olmos, DDS, a general dentist licensed in Texas. Treatment that needs a dentist who focuses on one field is referred out.
Questions about emergencies
What counts as a dental emergency?
A broken or knocked-out tooth, a toothache that won't ease, swelling in the gum or face, a lost crown or filling, or bleeding that follows a blow to the mouth. Call and we'll help you sort out which.
Do I need to be a patient?
No. Call us and tell us what's happening.
Are you open at night or on weekends?
Our office hours are on the contact page. The phone is answered during them. If it can't wait and it's outside them, go to an emergency room; leave us a message too, and we'll call when we open.
Will I know what it costs first?
Yes. You'll have a written estimate before treatment, even on an urgent visit.
What if I'm afraid of the dentist?
Tell us on the phone and again at the chair. We go step by step and stop when you ask.
Call before you drive over
Tell us what happened and we'll say what to do first, and when we can see you.