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Find Emergency Dental Care Near You

When experiencing a dental emergency, many people often choose to go to the hospital, but hospitals are not always equipped to handle such cases. Only a licensed dentist can perform emergency dental care for your child.

If you are experiencing a true medical emergency, call 911 immediately. In non-life-threatening situations, however, call the Kool Smiles call center at 254-781-0553 and let us direct you to the treatment you need. Your child will be given compassionate care by experienced dentists.

Emergency Dental Care at Kool Smiles

At Kool Smiles, our mission is to provide quality dental care for all children. We emphasize emergency dental care that is:

  • Fast—If you need help in a dental emergency, call your local office before arriving, so we can prepare our staff for your visit.
  • Affordable—We proudly accept Medicaid, a wide range of insurance plans, and cash or credit cards for patients without insurance.
  • Convenient—If an emergency occurs outside of regular business hours, current Kool Smiles patients can be connected to a dentist on call who may be available to treat your child. We’re also open on Saturdays.

With over 120 locations in 16 states, we bring emergency dental care to thousands of children in need of quality dental services.

Common Dental Emergencies

Common dental emergencies that typically require immediate care include:

  • Lost, broken or damaged teeth
  • Cuts or bites inside the cheek or tongue that do not stop bleeding in 15 minutes
  • Lost fillings or crowns
  • Painful infections (such as an abscess)

For minor dental issues, such as a toothache, it is still important for your child to see a dentist in the near future. These issues can be a sign of an underlying issue or developing problem.

Affordable Payment Options at Kool Smiles

When you bring your child in for an emergency dental appointment, we don’t want you to worry about how you will pay. You can access emergency dental care if you are uninsured. We offer a variety of payment options that make our services affordable to you:

  • Medicaid
  • TRICARE
  • SCHIP
  • Cash
  • Credit and debit cards
  • CareCredit

Q: What is CareCredit and how can I use it to pay for dental care?

CareCredit is a credit card specifically for healthcare costs. You can avoid paying an expense upfront and use the card to make smaller, more affordable payments each month. If your child is uninsured and needs emergency dental care, this can be a helpful alternative.

A mother and her children stand at the reception desk in a dental practice.

Find the Right Emergency Dental Service for Your Child

Kool Smiles dental offices regularly perform the following services:

  • Preventative care
  • Restorative care
  • X-rays
  • Wisdom tooth removal
  • Multilingual and free translation services

Additionally, the type of dentist you need may depend on the type of emergency. Whether your child has developed an infection or has broken a tooth while playing sports, you may need to see a specialist in that type of care.

  • General Dentist—General dentists are dedicated to overall oral health, including preventative care, diagnosis, gum health, fillings and more.
  • Pediatric Dentist—A pediatric dentist provides care for children from infancy to their teen years. They complete an additional two years of residency, so they know how to make your child feel comfortable during treatment. Kool Smiles pediatric dentists are also experienced with children who have special needs.
  • Orthodontist—Your child’s orthodontist is responsible for irregularities of the jaw, bite alignment and teeth alignment. They fit all dental devices for straightening teeth.
  • Endodontist—An endodontist treats dental trauma, such as broken or lost teeth. Endodontists care for the inside of the tooth, so they often perform procedures like root canals.
  • Oral Surgeon—An oral surgeon is highly specialized to perform procedures that are complex or outside the realm of a regular dentist. This can include wisdom teeth removal, dental implants and surgeries for jaw disorders.

While not all Kool Smiles locations offer specialty services, such as orthodontics or oral surgery, your Kool Smiles general or pediatric dentist can refer your child to an experienced specialist in your area.

How to Care for a Dental Emergency

Your child is having a dental emergency, and you cannot immediately go to the dentist. What should you do while you schedule or wait for your appointment?

Here are some tips for easing the pain while you call the dentist.

Toothache

Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water and have them floss to remove any food or debris that may be irritating the tooth and gums. Do not apply medication directly to the gums. Use a cold compress on the cheek or apply clove oil to the gums.

Lost Tooth

To save a knocked-out tooth, you should try to see a dentist within an hour of the injury. In the meantime, hold the tooth by the crown and rinse any dirt from the tooth. Reinsert the tooth back into the socket and hold. If you can’t reinsert the tooth, keep it in a container of milk or in a solution like Save-a-Tooth for preservation.

Broken/Chipped Tooth

Rinse the mouth with warm water. Save any broken pieces of the tooth to bring to the dentist. Use a cold compress and apply pressure with gauze to stop any bleeding.

You can cover sharp edges with dental wax. This is also an option for loose wires or sharp, exposed parts on dental devices.

Lost Filling or Crown

For a lost filling, temporarily use sugarless gum or dental cement to fill the hole from the filling, and see the dentist as soon as possible.

For a lost crown, try to place the crown back onto the tooth with a dental cement or toothpaste. Do not use super glue. This is a temporary solution for a dental emergency, so you should make an appointment with the dentist as soon as possible.

Kool Smiles Quality Promise

According to Stephen Barrett, M.D. and Robert S. Baratz, M.D., D.D.S., Ph.D., you should choose a dentist that takes a personal interest in your oral health. Your dentist should not promise complete or comprehensive care in just one treatment. Your oral health is an ongoing process.

At Kool Smiles, our dentists don’t just give emergency dental care. They create a healthy “dental home” that keeps track of your child’s oral health over time. We want to provide education and preventative care to make sure that your child doesn’t experience an emergency in the future.

Q: Are Kool Smiles dentists board certified?

Yes. All Kool Smiles dentists are certified by their state’s Dental Board. Each dentist is highly experienced and qualified to give your child safe and professional treatment.

Call Kool Smiles Today for an Emergency Appointment

Finding an affordable dentist that is open during a dental emergency shouldn’t be as painful or troublesome as a toothache or broken tooth. Kool Smiles dentists can perform emergency dental care with just one call.

Remember that if you are experiencing a true emergency, call 911 immediately. If your child is experiencing a dental emergency, call us today at 254-781-0553 to find an emergency dentist near you.

Emergency Dental Care FAQ:

Are issues with braces considered a dental emergency?

If your child has braces or another dental appliance, it’s possible that the child can have an orthodontic emergency. This can include:

  • Protruding wires
  • Loose brackets
  • Loose bands
  • Broken headgear

You should contact an orthodontist to fix the appliance and prevent painful irritation and injury to the mouth. For situations where a piece of an appliance is swallowed or inhaled, and either swallowing or breathing becomes difficult, you should call 911.

Is a broken or knocked-out baby tooth a dental emergency?

A broken or damaged baby tooth should be dealt with immediately by a Kool Smiles dentist. This is because a baby tooth that sustains trauma can affect the permanent tooth waiting to grow in its place.

Most damage to a baby tooth will be minor, but a dentist can reassure you that no permanent damage has been done in the mouth.

Will Medicaid cover emergency dental care for my child?

Medicaid is required to cover emergency services, such as relief for pain and infections, restoration of teeth and dental health maintenance. Kool Smiles currently accepts Medicaid, but you should call your local office to ensure that your child’s procedures are covered as a medical necessity.

Can I walk into a Kool Smiles office without making an appointment?

For the best experience, you should call 254-781-0553 to guarantee that the dentist or specialist you need is available, especially after office hours or on the weekend. Kool Smiles has flexible evening and Saturday hours for those situations that you can’t predict.

If you need immediate medical attention, please call 911.

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Sources:

AAFP: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/0201/p511.html

CareCredit: https://www.carecredit.com/

HealthyChildren.org: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/health-management/pediatric-specialists/Pages/What-is-a-Pediatric-Dentist.aspx

WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/handling-dental-emergencies

MouthHealthy.org / American Dental Association: https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/ada-seal-products/category-display/compare-products/product-report?productid=4914&company=Phoenix+Lazerus%2C+Inc.&category=Emergency%20Tooth%20Preservation%20Product

DentalWatch.org: https://www.dentalwatch.org/basic/dentalchoose.html

A.T. Still University: https://www.atsu.edu/asdoh/programs/orthodontics/pdfs/Orthodontic_Emergencies.pdf

US Department of Health and Human Services: https://www.hhs.gov/answers/medicare-and-medicaid/does-medicaid-cover-dental-care/index.html