Emergency Dentist Clearwater

Fast Relief & Complete Restoration for Injured Smiles

Frustrated woman looking in bathroom mirror before emergency dentistry in Clearwater

At Suncoast Dental Arts, Dr. Cannady and our team are here when a dental emergency strikes. No matter the severity of the damage or intensity of the pain, our Clearwater emergency dentist and team have the technology, expertise, and solutions to provide fast relief and complete smile restoration. We offer same-day emergency appointments so that families can get the care they need right away and resume normal activity as soon as possible. Call our office to find out what steps are necessary should you suffer from a dental injury.

Why Choose Suncoast Dental Arts for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Dental Emergency Appointments
  • Sedation Dentistry Available for Nervous Patients
  • We Will File Claims to Maximize Available Dental Benefits

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Woman holding her cheek in pain while visiting emergency dentist in Clearwater
  • Call Us for Help: If you notice pain, suffer damage, or believe something doesn’t feel right, call our office right away. One of our team members will take down your symptoms and find a time for you to come on the same day (if necessary).
  • Complete an Examination: Dr. Cannady will want to look at digital images and perform a visual examination to determine the source of the injury and its severity. He might use digital X-rays, an intraoral camera, a CT/Cone Beam Scanner, or even our cavity detection system to pinpoint the problem area.
  • Discuss Treatment Options: You and Dr. Cannady will discuss your available treatment options so that you better understand the reason services are recommended and which one(s) will prove most beneficial in restoring your smile.
  • Receive Smile Restoration: Our team will begin to execute the finalized treatment plan so that you can enjoy a pain- and damage-free smile.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Excessive bleeding, increased swelling that inhibits breathing, and a broken or fractured jaw are the only dental emergencies that should be handled by a medical professional in the ER. All others can be addressed with the help of our talented team! Below are some of the most common dental emergencies we can assist with.

Toothaches

Chipped Tooth

Cracked Tooth

Sensitivity to Hot & Cold

Knocked-Out Tooth

Lost Filling or Crown

Broken Denture

Loose Tooth

Gums, Lips or Tongue Injury

Jaw Pain or Clenching

Something Stuck Between Teeth

Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry

Dental receptionist smiling at couple in lobby

Whether you just started to notice a twinge of pain when you bite down or you’ve been dealing with a painful toothache for several weeks now, the last thing we want is for the cost to stand in your way of getting the emergency dental care you need. That’s why our team at Suncoast Dental Arts prioritizes transparency and welcomes several financial solutions, including periodic special offers. You can read on to learn more about the price, but don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’d prefer to speak with a helpful member of our team.

Every Dental Emergency is Different – Here’s Why

Woman smiling at reflection in handheld mirror

Since no two dental emergencies are exactly the same, no two treatment plans are exactly the same. For this reason, we cannot provide you with an accurate estimate of the cost online. Rest assured, our dedicated emergency dentist in Clearwater, Dr. Cannady, will provide you with an estimate after his exam. Then, he will discuss the financial solutions available and answer any questions you have about your treatment plan. That way, you feel completely confident moving forward.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Dental insurance form on tablet next to office supplies

Do you have dental insurance? If so, you’ll be happy to hear that many providers cover 100% of the cost of preventive care and about 50% to 80% of the cost of essential restorative care. Plus, some plans even include a free emergency exam per year. So, it pays to be familiar with the fine print on your plan! If you need any help understanding or utilizing your available benefits, simply let us know. We’re happy to file all dental insurance claims so our patients can get the care they need without stressing about the cost.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Patient filling out paperwork in lobby

In addition to offering periodic specials, our team welcomes flexible financing with Cherry and Sunbit. As a result, you don’t need to pay for the entire cost of your emergency dental treatment in one lump sum. Instead, you can choose the payment plan that works best for you and break up the price into smaller, more manageable installments (often with little-to-no interest, too!).

How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Patient smiling at reflection in handheld mirror

Patients often underestimate the importance of preventive care. The truth is that healthy habits, like brushing consistently and wearing a mouthguard during sports, go a long way in protecting your smile from harm and your wallet from an unexpected bill. For the same reason, we recommend coming to our office every six months for a checkup and cleaning (or sooner if you start to experience abnormal symptoms, like pain when biting down or bleeding when you floss).

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Patient in Clearwater brushing teeth to prevent dental emergencies

Dental pain and oral injuries can happen when you least expect them. When they do happen, you can always count on our team at Suncoast Dental Arts whenever you need an emergency dentist. However, as much as we would like to see you more often, we’d rather help you avoid emergencies altogether. Read more below to learn healthy habits that can keep your smile strong and comfortable to prevent dental emergencies in Clearwater.

Visit Our Office Regularly

Patient in Clearwater talking to dentist about dental emergency

Routine dental visits are one of the best defenses against unexpected dental disasters. During checkups and cleanings, Dr. Cannady can spot small issues like cavities, weak fillings, or early gum disease before they turn painful and expensive.

Professional cleanings also remove hardened plaque (tartar) that brushing can’t reach. We recommend visiting our office at least twice a year for preventive care. With regular exams, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing your smile is healthy and protected. 

Take Care of Your Teeth at Home

Patient in Clearwater using a water flosser

Your daily routine plays a huge role in preventing emergencies. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing once daily, and rinsing with an alcohol-free, antibacterial mouthwash keep harmful germs under control.

These simple habits reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and infections that can lead to emergency visits. If you need guidance, our team is happy to demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques to help you stay consistent and confident in your home care routine.

Be Careful With Your Diet

Patient in Clearwater eating healthy

Just like your diet can affect how your body functions, the food and drinks you enjoy every day can either strengthen or weaken your teeth. So, try to limit sugary snacks, sodas, and acidic menu items that erode enamel and make cavities more likely. In addition, avoid biting into ice, hard candies, or overly-crusty breads as these can chip or crack teeth in an instant.

Instead, choose water, fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and lean proteins that support oral health. By making thoughtful dietary choices, you’ll protect your teeth from unnecessary stress and lower your risk of dental emergencies.

Wear a Mouthguard

Patient in Clearwater wearing mouthguard to prevent dental emergencies

If you play sports or grind your teeth at night, a custom mouthguard or nightguard can be a lifesaver. Athletic mouthguards cushion impacts and protect against broken teeth, cut lips, and jaw injuries during play. Nightguards, on the other hand, prevent enamel wear and painful jaw problems caused by teeth grinding.

At Suncoast Dental Arts, we can design a comfortable, custom-fitted guard for either purpose. These are precision-made appliances that provide extra security and help you avoid costly dental emergencies.

Use Tools, Not Teeth to Open Packaging

Examples of bottles that need tools to open

It can be tempting to tear open a stubborn package or bottle cap with your teeth, but this often puts your pearly whites at serious risk. Using your teeth as tools can cause chips, cracks, or even avulsed (knocked-out) teeth.

Instead, always reach for scissors, pliers, or a bottle opener to get the job done safely. Protecting your smile from unnecessary strain today can save you from an unexpected emergency expense tomorrow.

More to Explore

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Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you’re struggling with a toothache in Clearwater, you shouldn’t hesitate to call us. After all, even mild, consistent discomfort could be due to serious dental damage, and we want to provide the restorative care you need before it gets any worse.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until your appointment with Dr. Cannady, we recommend not chewing on that side of your mouth and taking OTC pain medication as directed. Rinsing with warm saltwater periodically is also a good idea since it helps alleviate inflammation and prevent infection.

How We Treat Toothaches Oftentimes, a tooth-colored filling or dental crown is the answer. If your toothache is stemming from an infection, however, then root canal therapy may be needed. The good news is that this procedure is virtually painless thanks to powerful numbing agents and our helpful aftercare instructions.

Learn More About Root Canal Treatment

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? The answer to this question depends largely on the symptoms you’re experiencing. For instance, if you’ve chipped a tooth but aren’t experiencing pain, discomfort, or sensitivity, then a same-day visit with Dr. Cannady likely isn’t necessary.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Since a chipped tooth can break further, it’s important that you don’t place any pressure on it. It’s also important that you don’t touch it with your finger. Instead, rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically and cover the tooth with some dental wax or sugar-free gum. This will help prevent an infection from developing as well as soft tissue injuries.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth You have several options at our Clearwater office, starting with cosmetic dental bonding. We also offer veneers and Lumineers for patients who are interested in fixing the chip as well as other imperfections, like noticeable gaps or permanent stains.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, especially if you are experiencing abnormal symptoms, like persistent sensitivity or pain when biting down. So, don’t wait – schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Clearwater. The sooner you do, the sooner they can alleviate your pain and restore your healthy tooth!

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth It goes without saying that you shouldn’t eat on that side of your mouth, especially tortilla chips, popcorn, and other crunchy foods. Instead, rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically, eat only extremely soft foods, and, if needed, take OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth If the cracked tooth can be saved, then the solution will likely be covering it with a dental crown. If it cannot be saved, then we will need to extract it. Then, we will replace it with a custom dental bridge or implant so you don’t have a gap in your smile moving forward.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Dental Implants

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? That depends largely on how severe your symptoms are and how long they’ve persisted. For instance, if you’ve been dealing with considerable sensitivity for over 24 hours, you should call us to schedule an emergency visit ASAP.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth We have a few recommendations, starting with steering clear of hot/cold foods and drinks. Switching to a desensitizing toothpaste and taking OTC pain medication can help alleviate your symptoms in the short-term as well.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth First, Dr. Cannady needs to complete a comprehensive oral exam. Once he has pinpointed the root of the problem, he can review your treatment options, from a tooth-colored filling to root canal treatment, and answer any questions you have about your care.

Learn More About Root Canal Treatment

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since the tooth starts to die after about 15 minutes, a lost tooth in Clearwater is absolutely a dental emergency. We recommend calling us ASAP so we can schedule a same-day visit as well as walk you through how to handle this dental injury in the meantime.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth To preserve the root surface cells and protect the tooth from further harm, it’s important that you pick it up by the crown (the chewing surface), rinse it gently with clean water to remove debris, and place it back in its socket. If the tooth doesn’t slide back into position easily, then you can place it in a clean container filled with milk or saline solution instead.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth First, we will determine if we can save your tooth. If we can’t, don’t worry – that’s where dental implants come in. With this state-of-the-art solution, we can replace both the root and crown of your tooth, giving you a complete smile and a strong bite again.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Since your tooth is vulnerable without the restoration, we do recommend calling us right away. That said, there are some cases when same-day care isn’t necessary.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown Placing your restoration in a small, clean container is an important first step. After that, transition your focus to protecting your tooth by not chewing on that side of your mouth and rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns How we restore the look, health, and function of your tooth will depend on a few factors, including the type of restoration and how old it is. For example, if a dental crown came loose but it’s in good condition and it’s relatively new, we may recommend re-cementing it back in place instead of creating a new one.

Broken Dentures

  • Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? You might not think your damaged dentures are an emergency, but you could hurt your gums, remaining teeth, jaw, and bite alignment by wearing them in their current condition. It’s best to contact us for an appointment as soon as possible.
  • How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: Avoid wearing them to protect the tender tissues inside your mouth, and don’t try to fix them yourself with super glue or other household supplies. These aren’t usually intended for oral use and can be toxic if ingested.
  • How We Treat Broken Dentures: If the teeth of your dentures are chipped or cracked, we might be able to repair them with dental bonding. Otherwise, we may need to reline or replace your restoration. We might recommend implant dentures if you’re seeking a more permanent solution.

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

  • Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? Sometimes also referred to as extruded or partially dislodged, a loose adult tooth deserves immediate attention because it’s at risk of falling out.
  • How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: Contact us for a same-day emergency appointment. Then, avoid biting or chewing anything with it, especially hard or sticky foods. It’s usually safe to rinse with salt water to naturally disinfect your mouth, but brushing and flossing could cause harm.
  • How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Sometimes, our team can provide a stint or other oral appliance that can stabilize your tooth long enough to reintegrate with your jawbone. However, if it’s severely decayed, damaged, or diseased, Dr. Cannady might recommend extraction and replacement.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Replacing Missing Teeth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

  • Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? The tender tissues in your mouth tend to bleed when they’re hurt, like if you sustain a blow to the face during a sporting event, which can be intimidating. If the cut is minor, our team in Clearwater may be able to assist.
  • How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue. First, rinse your mouth gently with water to remove any bacteria, dirt, and other debris. Then, place a clean washcloth or piece of gauze and apply firm but gentle pressure to slow bleeding. A cold compress can sometimes help reduce aches and inflammation.
  • How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: We can suture the wound closed and provide antibiotics if necessary. However, if the wound is large or bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes, you should head to the closest ER for immediate attention.

Learn More About Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

  • Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? A stiff or sore jaw doesn’t automatically require an emergency visit, but if you experience chronic or severe pain, please call us right away.
  • How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: In many cases, taking over-the-counter pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprofen can safely address your symptoms until you arrive for your scheduled visit. You might also apply an ice pack for 15 minutes at a time for a temporary numbing reprieve.
  • How We Treat Jaw Pain: The treatment depends on the underlying cause of your discomfort. We offer various options to address TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders, including occlusal adjustments/equilibration, a customized occlusal splint, and more.

Learn  More About Treating TMJ

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

You might not think that something lodged in your teeth is problematic, but unfortunately, plenty of patients have accidentally hurt their teeth or gums trying to remove stuck objects. You can rinse your mouth with water or gently floss to see if that helps, but you could injure your enamel or connective tissues trying to extract the item with utensils or other household goods. Contact us for an appointment so we can safely remove whatever has become trapped while preserving your dental health.