Emergency Dentist in Danville, CA | Same-Day Care

Dental emergencies are frightening and often painful. A tooth that breaks during dinner. A crown that falls off the morning of a presentation. An infection that keeps you up all night. The pain caused by dental emergencies almost always gets worse without treatment, and dental issues can seriously jeopardize your physical health.

At Michael Kriston DDS in Danville, our schedule is designed to accommodate last-minute accidents and painful toothaches. We place just as much urgency on cosmetic emergencies as on pain emergencies — because we understand that your smile is your livelihood, and a big life event or a career cannot be placed on hold.

We urge you to call as soon as you know there’s a problem. The sooner we see you, the more options we have to save the tooth and get you out of pain.

What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency?

Any problem that causes constant pain, disrupts your sleep, harms another part of your mouth (like a broken filling cutting your tongue), or affects your ability to work and function is a dental emergency. But emergencies aren’t limited to pain:

A tooth that breaks, chips, or cracks
A crown, veneer, or filling that comes off or breaks
A tooth knocked completely out
Severe tooth pain or throbbing that won’t stop
Swelling in the face or gums
A tooth broken off at the gum line
A cosmetic emergency before an important business or social event
A locked jaw or painful TMJ injury
Soft tissue injury (cut lip, cheek, or tongue)

Go to the ER or Call Us?

If you have facial swelling accompanied by fever or difficulty breathing, go to the emergency room immediately. Dental infections are always serious because they occur in the head, and infections can spread. However, for most dental emergencies, our office can do significantly more than a hospital ER, which typically has very limited dental capability. The ER can numb the tooth and prescribe medication, but we can diagnose, treat, and often resolve the problem in one visit.

Common Dental Emergencies and How We Treat Them

Tooth Infections

Infections — whether in the tooth (an abscess from a dying nerve) or in the gums (periodontal infection) — are the most common emergencies Dr. Kriston sees. An infected tooth typically causes throbbing, spontaneous pain that worsens at night and may be accompanied by swelling, sensitivity to heat, and a foul taste.

Treatment depends on the severity and the tooth’s prognosis. If the tooth can be saved, a root canal removes the infected nerve, eliminates the pain, and preserves the tooth. If the infection is too extensive or the tooth is too compromised, extraction may be the better path.

Dr. Kriston always has an honest conversation about the options: what it would take to save the tooth, the long-term prognosis if we do, what it would cost, and whether that investment makes sense compared to replacing the tooth with something stronger. Sometimes heroic measures to save a badly damaged root are worthwhile. Sometimes the money is better spent building something new.

Cracked and Broken Teeth

Cracked teeth are the second most common emergency. Cracks can be caused by grinding, trauma, biting on hard objects, or weakened teeth with large fillings. A cracked tooth doesn’t heal itself — like a crack in a windshield, once it starts, it only grows longer.

Small cracks that cause sensitivity to chewing or temperature can often be treated with a crown that holds the tooth together and insulates it from temperature changes. Larger cracks that reach the nerve may require a root canal before the crown. Cracks that extend below the gum line or split the tooth vertically may make the tooth unsavable.

For teeth broken off at the gum line — even at the bone level — Dr. Kriston has the skill to perform what he calls “heroics to save a tooth.” This can involve a root canal, a post placed in the canal to build the tooth back up, crown lengthening (lowering the bone level so the crown edge can land on solid tooth structure), and finally a crown. It’s complex and not always the best investment — but when the prognosis is favorable, these techniques can save teeth that other dentists would extract.

Lost Crowns and Fillings

A crown that comes off is often a sign of recurrent decay — a cavity that has developed underneath the old restoration, dissolving the bond between the crown and the tooth. This is the most common reason crowns fail.

If the tooth underneath is still healthy enough, a new crown can be made. If the crown came off with a post, or the tooth has broken off at the gum line, Dr. Kriston can sometimes bond the crown back into place as a temporary measure during the emergency visit, buying time to plan the definitive restoration.

If a filling falls out, the exposed tooth is vulnerable to further decay and sensitivity. Bring the filling if you find it, and call us to be seen as soon as possible.

Knocked-Out Tooth

A tooth that has been completely knocked out can potentially be reimplanted — but time is critical. The tooth’s connective tissue fibers (the periodontal ligament) can survive outside the mouth if kept moist and nourished.

‍

What to do immediately:

‍

Find the tooth and handle it by the crown (the white part), not the root
Do not scrub or clean the root — the fibers on the root surface are what allow reattachment
Place the tooth in milk — milk provides nutrients that keep the connective fibers alive
If no milk is available, place the tooth between your cheek and gum (in your own saliva)
Get to our office as fast as possible — ideally within 30 to 60 minutes

A reimplanted tooth may need a root canal in the future because the disconnection from its blood supply can cause the nerve to die. But the goal is to save the tooth and the bone around it.

TMJ Emergencies

A locked jaw (inability to open or close normally) or a sudden, painful injury to the jaw joint is a dental emergency. Dr. Kriston evaluates the joint, determines whether the issue is muscular, disc-related, or skeletal, and provides immediate relief. Longer-term TMJ management may involve bite therapy, a night guard, or integration into a larger treatment plan.

Cosmetic Dental Emergencies

A broken front tooth or a lost veneer before a wedding, a job interview, or an important social event is absolutely an emergency. Your smile affects your confidence, your career, and your life — and we treat cosmetic emergencies with the same urgency as pain.

Chipped Front Teeth

Small chips can often be resolved definitively in the emergency visit itself. If the chip is minor, Dr. Kriston may reshape the tooth to smooth the area and restore a natural appearance — but only if the tooth can look natural afterward. If reshaping alone wouldn’t look right, he’ll bond composite to the area, matching the shade and contour so the repair is invisible. Small chip repairs typically take 20 to 30 minutes.

Larger chips on the biting edges of front teeth can be temporarily repaired with bonding composite during the emergency visit, with a veneer recommended for long-term durability.

Broken or Lost Veneers

If a veneer breaks or comes off completely and you have both pieces, Dr. Kriston can often bond the pieces back onto the tooth during the emergency visit. This may sound like a temporary fix, but depending on how much bite force and wear the veneer is under, this repair can last for years. Dr. Kriston evaluates the bite, adjusts it if needed to reduce the forces that caused the break, and explains what happened and why.

If the veneer is lost and the pieces aren’t recoverable, a temporary composite veneer can be placed the same day to restore your appearance while a new permanent veneer is fabricated.

If a crown has fallen off in the smile zone, Dr. Kriston can sometimes bond it back into place temporarily during the emergency visit, giving you an immediate cosmetic solution while the long-term plan is determined.

Temporary Tooth Replacement Solutions

When a visible tooth is lost or extracted and an immediate permanent solution isn’t possible, Dr. Kriston has several options to keep your smile intact while healing occurs:
‍

A temporary Maryland-type bridge — a replacement tooth bonded to the back of adjacent teeth, requiring no preparation of those teeth
A stay-plate or “flipper” — a thin removable appliance that holds a replacement tooth in place cosmetically

‍

These solutions aren’t meant for heavy biting or chewing — they’re cosmetic placeholders that keep your smile intact during the healing period before a permanent restoration like an implant or bridge is placed.

From Emergency to Long-Term Solution

An emergency visit resolves the immediate problem — the pain, the cosmetic concern, the infection. But many dental emergencies reveal a larger situation that needs comprehensive attention.

A cracked tooth may indicate a grinding habit that’s damaging other teeth. A lost crown may reveal decay that needs to be addressed across multiple teeth. A broken tooth in the smile may be the catalyst for the smile makeover the patient has been considering for years.

Dr. Kriston uses the emergency visit not just to fix what’s broken, but to evaluate the bigger picture. If the emergency is part of a larger pattern, he’ll explain what he sees and discuss options — without pressure, but with the honesty that comes from 38 years of seeing how small problems become big ones when they’re ignored.

When an Extraction Leads to an Implant

When a tooth can’t be saved and extraction is necessary, the next question is what comes after. In some cases, a dental implant can be placed the same day as the extraction. But the primary factor determining whether same-day placement is appropriate is the presence of infection.

Infections create an environment where bone growth is hindered. Asking the bone to heal around and adhere to an implant in an infected site risks failure. When infection is present, Dr. Kriston’s approach is to clean the site as thoroughly as possible, place antibiotic in the socket along with bone graft material, and allow the site to heal before returning to place the implant.

In severe infections, even the bone graft may be deferred — the infection must be resolved first, because a graft in heavily infected bone may not heal properly either. Everything depends on the extent of the infection, and Dr. Kriston evaluates each case individually with 3D CBCT imaging.

When the site is healthy and free of infection, same-day implant placement with bone grafting is a powerful option that starts the implant journey on the same day the tooth comes out.

What to Do Before You Get to Our Office

The actions you take in the first minutes after a dental emergency can make a significant difference in the outcome. Here’s what Dr. Kriston recommends for the most common situations:

For Severe Tooth Pain

Take two Extra Strength Tylenol and two Ibuprofen together — this combination is the most effective over-the-counter pain relief for dental pain. Do not take either if you have a known adverse reaction, and confirm with our office that these are appropriate for you.
Sleep with your head elevated on two pillows to reduce blood pressure to the area
Apply a cold compress (ice in a baggie wrapped in a towel) to the outside of the face near the painful area
Lying down and relaxing reduces your pulse, which can help with severe pain
Call us immediately — don’t wait to see if it gets better. Tooth infections almost always get worse.

For a Knocked-Out Tooth

Find the tooth and handle only the crown (white part), never the root
Place it in milk immediately — the milk keeps the connective tissue alive
If no milk is available, place the tooth between your cheek and gum
Get to our office within 30 to 60 minutes if possible

For a Broken Tooth, Lost Crown, or Lost Veneer

Find all the pieces and bring them in a small baggie — crowns, veneers, and even broken tooth fragments can sometimes be bonded back into place
If a broken edge is sharp and cutting your tongue or cheek, cover it with a small piece of dental wax or sugarless gum until you can be seen
Do not try to reattach a crown with over-the-counter adhesive — it can make the situation harder to treat
Keep the area clean with gentle brushing

For Soft Tissue Injuries

For ulcerations or sores, Zilactin (a clear gel) can act as a bandage and disinfectant. Dry the area, apply the gel, and keep it exposed to air until it dries to an opaque white color. It can last up to 6 hours.
Anbesol or similar topical anesthetics provide very brief numbing (a few minutes at most) and will not address tooth pain — they cannot penetrate to the nerve.

What to Look For

Face swelling — indicates a severely infected tooth. Call immediately.

‍

Pain in front of your ear — may indicate a jaw joint (TMJ) injury.

‍

Intense pain on the roof of your mouth and/or an upper back tooth — could be a sinus infection, which can mimic dental pain.

‍

Pain that wakes you from sleep — almost always indicates an active infection that needs treatment.

Why Our Office Instead of the ER

While you can go to a hospital emergency room for a dental problem, we don’t recommend it for most situations. Hospital ERs have very limited dental capability. They can numb the tooth with a long-lasting anesthetic to relieve the pain and prescribe antibiotics and pain medication, but they typically cannot perform root canals, bond broken teeth, replace lost crowns, or extract teeth.

‍

In an emergency appointment at our office, Dr. Kriston can diagnose the problem with digital X-rays and 3D CBCT imaging, relieve the pain, treat the infection, save or extract the tooth, repair or replace broken restorations, address cosmetic concerns, and begin planning the long-term solution — all in one visit.

‍

The exception: if you have facial swelling with fever, difficulty breathing, or difficulty swallowing, go to the ER immediately. These signs may indicate a spreading infection that requires hospital-level intervention.

Call Us Now

If you’re experiencing a dental emergency, call (925) 838-2900 immediately. We set aside time every day for emergencies and can typically see you within hours of your call. Don’t wait for the problem to get worse — the sooner you call, the more we can do.

Michael Kriston DDS is located in Danville, CA, serving patients from Danville, San Ramon, Blackhawk, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Dublin, Pleasanton, and throughout the Tri-Valley and East Bay.

Emergency Dental Care in
Danville, CA

Call Us Now: (925) 838-2900

What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency?

Go to the ER or Call Us?

Common Dental Emergencies and How We Treat Them

Tooth Infections

Cracked and Broken Teeth

Lost Crowns and Fillings

Knocked-Out Tooth

TMJ Emergencies

Cosmetic Dental Emergencies

Chipped Front Teeth

Broken or Lost Veneers

Temporary Tooth Replacement Solutions

From Emergency to Long-Term Solution

When an Extraction Leads to an Implant

What to Do Before You Get to Our Office

For Severe Tooth Pain

For a Knocked-Out Tooth

For a Broken Tooth, Lost Crown, or Lost Veneer

For Soft Tissue Injuries

What to Look For

Why Our Office Instead of the ER

Call Us Now

Emergency Dental Care in Danville, CA

Call Us Now: (925) 838-2900

What Qualifies as a Dental Emergency?

Go to the ER or Call Us?

Common Dental Emergencies and How We Treat Them

Tooth Infections

Cracked and Broken Teeth

Lost Crowns and Fillings

Knocked-Out Tooth

TMJ Emergencies

Cosmetic Dental Emergencies

Chipped Front Teeth

Broken or Lost Veneers

Temporary Tooth Replacement Solutions

From Emergency to Long-Term Solution

When an Extraction Leads to an Implant

What to Do Before You Get to Our Office

For Severe Tooth Pain

For a Knocked-Out Tooth

For a Broken Tooth, Lost Crown, or Lost Veneer

For Soft Tissue Injuries

What to Look For

Why Our Office Instead of the ER

Call Us Now

Emergency Dental Care in
Danville, CA