Emergency Dentist in Indianapolis

Accidents happen, and you never know when you or your family may need emergency dental care. We can be your emergency dentist in Indianapolis. There are many kinds of dental emergencies, including trauma to your mouth that can damage your gums or teeth. You may experience lacerations to your gums, bleeding, missing or broken teeth, and other accidents that may call for immediate, emergency dental attention.

How do I know if I need emergency dental care

It's inevitable that many people will need emergency dental care at some point in their lives. Many things can happen that cause trauma to the mouth, including accidents, sports injuries, falls, and sometimes even biting into hard foods like ice, popcorn kernels, and hard candies.

Significant mouth injuries can include cracked, dislodged, or broken teeth. If you experience any of these, be sure to seek emergency dental care. If you wait too long, such injuries can lead to severe complications down the road. Care for such complications can be time consuming and expensive, so fixing the problem immediately is the healthy and right thing to do. You may need an extraction or dental implant.

In fact, if you’ve lost a piece of your tooth or if you’ve suffered nerve damage, seeking emergency dental care may be the best way to save your tooth. If you wait too long, the damage may become permanent. It’s also best to seek immediate attention if you have severe pain, like having an abscessed tooth, since there may be a more significant problem lurking under the surface.

When in doubt, call our office. We’ll talk through what happened and help you decide if you need to seek immediate emergency dental care.

Is there anything I should immediately do for a dislodged tooth?

Yes! If you have a dislodged or loose tooth, make sure you handle it as little as possible. Always touch a loose or dislodged tooth by the crown and never by the root. Try to rinse away any dirt or debris and gently try to place the tooth back in its socket.

If you are unable to put the tooth back in its socket, put it in a small container with milk to keep it from drying out before you are able to make it to the dentist.

Then get to us as quickly as you can! We are here to help. We’ll make sure that you receive the best possible care as quickly as possible.

If you don’t know whether or not you need an emergency dentist, give us a call! We’ll help you decide the right course of action.

Emergency Dentistry FAQs

When a dental emergency strikes, seconds count, and having the right information can make a big difference. These are questions we often hear from patients in urgent dental situations. Our goal at Lockhart Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is to help you understand what to expect, what you can do right away, and how we can help.
What should I do if I have a dental emergency?
Start by calling us immediately. Describe your symptoms clearly—pain level, swelling, trauma, bleeding, whether a tooth is loose or knocked out. While you’re on your way, if it's safe, you can apply a cold compress to reduce swelling; rinse with warm (not hot) water if there’s debris. Try to preserve broken tooth pieces or place a knocked-out tooth in milk or clean water if possible. The sooner you get to our office, the better chance we have of avoiding long-term damage.
What will the ER do for a dental emergency?
The emergency room can help stabilize severe symptoms and manage life-threatening or systemic issues, such as swelling that blocks airways, uncontrollable bleeding, or fever with infection. They may provide pain relief and start antibiotics in some cases. However, they are typically not equipped to restore teeth, reimplant knocked-out teeth, or perform root canals. That part is best handled by a dentist like us.
How soon will antibiotics stop tooth pain?
Antibiotics aren't a cure for the problem, but they can help ease the infection. Usually, you can expect some relief within 48 to 72 hours after starting antibiotics. It often takes around a week to ten days for the infection to clear, depending on severity, your overall health, and whether follow-up dental treatment (like drainage, root canal, or extraction) is done. Always finish the full course prescribed.
What are the signs that a tooth infection is spreading?
Watch for high or rising fever, swelling spreading beyond the tooth (face, jaw, neck), red streaks on skin, swollen lymph glands, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or feeling unwell overall. Internal swelling that affects your throat or airway is very serious.
Will pulling an infected tooth stop the pain?
A tooth extraction often stops the source of the infection and thus stops much of the pain, but the complete relief depends on your individual case. If the infection has already spread, you may need antibiotics, follow-up care, or other treatment. Before extraction, we'll discuss what to expect after, including how pain should decrease and what aftercare you'll need.
If you're experiencing a dental emergency, don't wait. Call Lockhart Cosmetic and Family Dentistry now and let our team help relieve your pain and protect your oral health.