A cracked tooth, a throbbing abscess, or a filling that falls out over the weekend rarely waits for a convenient time. When dental pain strikes, you need answers fast and to know exactly where to turn before the discomfort worsens or the damage spreads.
At Porche Dental Care, we treat dental emergencies as a same-day priority, not an afterthought. Dr. Corey Porche has spent years building a practice around efficient, technology-driven treatment, so when you call us in pain, you are met with a team that already has the tools and training to get you seen quickly and treated the first time.
Not every dental issue requires immediate attention, but many patients aren’t sure where the line is. Understanding what qualifies as urgent can help you make the right call before a small problem becomes a much bigger one.
A helpful rule of thumb: if the issue involves significant pain, visible damage, or bleeding that won’t stop, call our office right away rather than waiting to see if things improve. Even symptoms that seem minor at first — like a small crack or occasional sensitivity — can be an early warning sign of a deeper problem. Catching these issues early often means a simpler, faster treatment and a better long-term outcome.
One of the most stressful parts of a dental emergency is not knowing how many appointments it will take to fix the problem. A cracked or broken tooth often means weeks of walking around with a temporary crown while you wait for a permanent one to be fabricated offsite. That is not how we operate.
Dr. Porche uses CEREC technology alongside an in-house 3D printer to design and mill permanent crowns in a single visit. If your emergency involves a fractured or severely damaged tooth, this technology means you can often leave our office the same day with a durable, custom-fitted restoration — rather than a temporary placeholder and a follow-up appointment.
Sometimes what feels like an emergency is actually a sign of infection that has reached the inner pulp of the tooth. Deep decay, cracks, or trauma can allow bacteria to reach this area, leading to swelling, throbbing pain, and temperature sensitivity.
When this is the source of your pain, timely treatment with root canal therapy can relieve the pressure, eliminate the infection, and preserve your natural tooth. We also evaluate for gum disease, since advanced infections in the gum tissue can sometimes mimic or accompany tooth pain. Infections of this kind rarely resolve on their own, and over-the-counter pain relievers can only mask the discomfort temporarily. Our diagnostic imaging allows us to pinpoint the source of the problem quickly, so we can move straight into the right treatment instead of guessing at the cause.
We understand that dental emergencies rarely happen at a convenient moment, and the anxiety of not knowing what to expect can be just as stressful as the pain itself. Our goal is to make the process as simple and reassuring as possible from the moment you reach out.
Dr. Porche has spent years investing in the technology and training needed to treat dental emergencies efficiently — from CEREC same-day crowns to in-house 3D printing that eliminates unnecessary delays. Combined with a genuine commitment to helping patients feel comfortable and informed, that experience means you are never just another appointment on the schedule. You are a person in pain who deserves fast, honest, and skilled care.
If you are dealing with a dental emergency in Houma, don’t wait for it to get worse. As a fee-for-service practice, we offer CareCredit financing to help make urgent treatment more manageable.
Act immediately. Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root, and do not scrub it. If possible, gently reinsert it into the socket and bite down softly on a clean cloth to hold it in place. If you cannot reinsert it, place the tooth in milk or hold it in your cheek on the way to our office. Time is critical — the best outcomes happen when we see you within an hour of the injury.
Call our office number and listen for after-hours instructions. For a life-threatening emergency involving severe swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or uncontrolled bleeding, go to your nearest emergency room immediately. For non-life-threatening dental pain, call our office first thing in the morning and we will get you in as soon as possible.
Emergency rooms can help manage pain and may prescribe antibiotics if an infection is present, but they are generally not equipped to perform dental treatment. You will likely be sent home with medication and told to follow up with a dentist. Coming to Porche Dental Care directly means you get an actual diagnosis and treatment rather than temporary pain management. If swelling is affecting your airway or you have a high fever, the ER is the right first step — call 911 or go immediately.
We prioritize emergency calls and make every effort to see patients the same day they call. When you contact our office, our team will ask about your symptoms and work to get you scheduled as quickly as possible. The sooner you call, the more flexibility we have to fit you in during the same business day.
Coverage varies by plan. Many insurance policies cover at least a portion of emergency evaluations and necessary treatment. As a fee-for-service, out-of-network practice, we can provide documentation to help you submit for reimbursement. We also offer CareCredit financing for patients who need help managing out-of-pocket costs, and we are happy to walk you through your options before any work begins.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can help reduce inflammation and manage discomfort temporarily. Applying a cold pack to the outside of the cheek in 20-minute intervals can also help with swelling. Avoid applying heat, and do not put aspirin directly on the gum tissue. These measures can take the edge off, but they do not treat the underlying problem — call us as soon as possible rather than waiting to see if the pain resolves on its own.
