Emergency care
Emergency Dentistry
In pain today? Call us. We triage by urgency and do everything we can to see you fast.
If you are in pain right now, call us at (734) 453-9413. During office hours we triage by urgency and do everything we can to see you the same day. Outside office hours, our emergency service is available to established patients of the practice.
How we handle emergencies
Dental emergencies do not wait for a convenient appointment slot, so we work by urgency rather than by the order the phone rang. Someone in severe pain, with facial swelling, or with a knocked-out tooth is seen ahead of a chipped filling that is not hurting. Call and tell us plainly what is happening, and we will tell you honestly how quickly we can get you in.
After hours
Our after-hours emergency service is for established patients of the practice. If you are already a patient here, you are not on your own at nine o'clock at night. If you are not yet a patient, please call during office hours and we will do everything we can to fit you in, because a new patient in pain is still a patient in pain.
What counts as a dental emergency
Severe or worsening toothache, especially one keeping you awake. Facial or gum swelling. A knocked-out or pushed-out tooth. A broken tooth with a sharp edge or exposed nerve. Bleeding that will not stop. A lost crown or filling that leaves a tooth painful. An abscess, which is a serious infection and should never be left over a weekend.
What to do before you get here
For a knocked-out adult tooth, handle it by the crown and not the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and keep it in milk or held in the cheek while you come straight in. Time matters more than anything else here. For a broken tooth, rinse with warm water and cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum. For swelling, a cold compress on the outside of the cheek. Ordinary pain relief is fine; never hold aspirin against the gum, which burns the tissue.
Swelling is the one not to wait on
Pain is miserable but swelling is the sign to act on immediately, because it means infection is spreading. Swelling that reaches the eye or the neck, or any difficulty breathing or swallowing, is a hospital emergency rather than a dental one. Go straight to an emergency room.
If it has been a long time since your last visit
Nobody here will make you feel bad about it. Emergencies are very often what brings people back after years away, and we would far rather see you now than have you wait longer out of embarrassment. Deal with the pain first. The rest can be a conversation once you are comfortable.
Emergency dentistry in Plymouth
We see patients from Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Livonia, and the towns around them. If something is wrong and you are not sure whether it counts as an emergency, call and describe it. We would rather tell you it can wait until Tuesday than have you sit at home in pain wondering.
Why patients stay
Dentistry, done differently.
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Gentle, even for the anxious
We hold your hand through it, literally if you want. No judgment, no rush.
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Caring for Plymouth families for decades
Three owners, one standard of care, and over 25 years in Dr. deFuentes Cutter's hands.
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A person, not a call center
Call and you reach our front desk. We answer your questions ourselves.
Good questions
Questions patients often ask.
Can I be seen today?
Call us and tell us what is happening. During office hours we work by urgency rather than the order the phone rang, so severe pain, swelling or a knocked-out tooth goes to the front. We will be straight with you about how quickly we can get you in rather than leaving you guessing.
Do you offer after-hours emergency care?
Our after-hours emergency service is available to established patients of the practice. If you are already a patient here you are not on your own in the evening. If you are not yet a patient, please call during office hours and we will do everything we can to fit you in.
What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
Handle it by the crown and never the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and keep it moist in milk or held inside your cheek while you come straight in. Time matters more than anything else with a knocked-out adult tooth, so call on your way rather than after.
When is it serious enough for a hospital instead?
Swelling that reaches your eye or your neck, or any difficulty breathing or swallowing, needs an emergency room rather than a dental office. Those signs mean an infection is spreading and it is not something to wait on. For swelling confined to the gum or cheek, call us.
It has been years since I saw a dentist. Will you judge me?
No, and an emergency is very often exactly what brings people back after a long gap. We would much rather see you now than have you wait longer out of embarrassment. We deal with the pain first, and everything else is a conversation for once you are comfortable.
Ready when you are
We're easier to call than you think.
Tell us what's worrying you. We'll take it from there. No scripts, no rush.