Dental, Oral, and Maxillofacial Emergencies

Community Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a specialty practice and sees patients upon referral from their primary dentist. We don’t see emergency walk-in patients. The information here will help you navigate a dental or facial emergency. We would be happy to assist once you are triaged either at your dentist’s office or the hospital.

During office hours, immediate attention will be given to your situation, and you will be seen as soon as possible. After office hours, please give the office a call and follow the instructions provided. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

If you are experiencing a serious or life threatening emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency room.

How Do I Know If I Need To Be Seen For An Emergency Oral And Maxillofacial Surgery?

Recognizing the need for emergency and maxillofacial surgery is important when facing certain symptoms and situations:

• Severe oral pain that doesn’t subside with over-the-counter pain relief.
• Swelling in the facial structures.
• Bleeding in or around the teeth, oral cavity, or face.
• Trauma to the facial structures causing bleeding, severe pain, vision or hearing changes, or noticeable changes in your oral and facial structures.
• Infections causing difficulty swallowing, breathing, or opening your mouth.
• Persistent discomfort following recent dental or oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures.

What Conditions Require Emergency Oral Surgery?

Some conditions that commonly require emergency oral surgery include:

• Impacted wisdom teeth causing severe pain.
• Dental abscesses that are spreading or at risk of spreading.
• Facial trauma
• “Knocked-out”, broken, or severely damaged teeth in an acute trauma setting.
• Jaw fractures associated with trauma.
• Uncontrollable bleeding or unexpected complications following an extraction or other dental procedures.
• Infections that are threatening the airway.

What to Do if You Experience an Oral Emergency

If you suspect that you or a loved one are experiencing an dental, oral, or maxillofacial emergency, follow these steps:

• Contact your primary dentist immediately. If you don’t have one, please look for an emergency dental office that is able to see you and triage you immediately.
• Life-threatening situations: For facial swelling, bleeding, infections causing facial swelling (especially causing issues with swallowing or breathing), call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.
• Stay calm and avoid actions that could worsen the situation, such as applying heat to the area or using sharp objects.
• If you are a patient of record, please call our office during business hours (414 810 1707). Afterhours, please follow the instructions that were provided to you at your appointment on how to contact Dr. Ruba Khader for assistance.