Very few dental offices in Reseda and the central San Fernando Valley open on Sunday, and ours isn't one of them. What you can do on a Sunday: call (323) 433-6458, where a real person answers and holds you the first Monday chair at 9:00 AM, manage the pain with the steps below, and go to an ER if you have any of the warning signs listed here.
A Sunday toothache feels like it has no good options. It has a few, and the useful thing is knowing which one fits your situation before you spend the afternoon driving up and down Reseda Boulevard.
Why so few dentists are open on Sunday
Dentistry is a small-practice business, and most offices in the Valley run four or five weekday schedules. The ones that list Sunday hours are usually large chain clinics or an office with a rotating on-call dentist, and even those often see emergencies by appointment rather than as walk-ins. Searching "dentist open Sunday" will turn some up. Call before you drive; a listing that says "open" doesn't always mean a chair is available.
What our office does on Sunday
Our chairs are closed on Sunday. Our phone is answered by a real person at every hour, including Sunday morning. When you call, the answering service takes your name, number and symptoms and holds you the first Monday opening at 9:00 AM. Monday's earliest appointments go to the people who called over the weekend. The weekend and after-hours page has the full rundown, including the one Saturday a month we open by appointment.
Sunday symptoms that mean the ER, not any dentist
- Swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, or that's closing your eye
- A high fever with facial swelling
- Bleeding that 20 minutes of steady pressure hasn't slowed
- A blow to the face with a possible broken jaw, or any loss of consciousness
Northridge Hospital Medical Center and Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center are the nearest hospitals for most of our area. They'll treat the spreading infection or the injury; our post on what the ER can do for a tooth explains what happens after.
A knocked-out tooth on Sunday is different
An adult tooth that's been knocked out needs to go back in within about an hour to have a strong chance. On a Sunday that means seeking the soonest available emergency dental care rather than waiting for Monday, and following the storage steps on the knocked-out tooth page on the way. Call us for the follow-up once it's been seen.
Getting through Sunday: what helps
- Pain relief. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen, exactly as the label directs. Ask a pharmacist before combining them.
- Cold, not heat. A cold compress on the cheek for swelling, 15 minutes on and off. Heat can spread an infection.
- Salt water. Warm rinses several times a day, gently.
- Cover sharp edges. Sugarless gum or dental wax over a chipped tooth.
- Protect an exposed tooth. Pharmacy dental cement over a lost filling or inside a loose crown. Never household glue.
- Sleep propped up. Lying flat makes a throbbing tooth throb harder.
- Skip the aspirin-on-the-gum trick. It burns the tissue and doesn't reach the nerve.
What can wait until Monday and what can't
Most Sunday dental problems can wait one night with the steps above: a dull or moderate toothache, a chipped tooth that isn't bleeding, a lost filling, a crown in your pocket, a denture that cracked. What can't wait is on the ER list above, plus a knocked-out tooth. Everything in between, a swollen gum that isn't spreading, a bad toothache that ibuprofen is barely holding, is a judgment call. If you're unsure, the safe move is a hospital or an open clinic on Sunday and our office for the tooth on Monday.
When to call a dentist today
Call (323) 433-6458 as soon as the problem starts, Sunday or not. You'll speak to a person, get a held Monday 9:00 AM time on Saticoy Street in Reseda, and be first in line when the doors open. The Monday visit starts with the $99 exam and X-rays for patients paying without insurance, then a written price before any treatment. The $99 covers the emergency exam and diagnostic X-rays for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts. Office hours are Monday and Wednesday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an emergency dentist open on Sunday in Northridge or Van Nuys?
Occasionally, usually a chain clinic or an on-call arrangement, and availability changes. Search, then call before driving. If you can safely wait, calling (323) 433-6458 on Sunday gets you the first Monday chair at our Reseda office, 7 to 12 minutes from Northridge and 10 to 20 from Van Nuys.
Can I get antibiotics on a Sunday without seeing a dentist?
An urgent care or ER can prescribe them if they find an infection. Antibiotics calm the infection but don't treat the tooth, so a dental visit still follows within a day or two. If you already have a prescription, keep taking it and call us Sunday to get on Monday's schedule.
Will I pay more for a Monday emergency appointment after a Sunday call?
No. The exam and X-rays are $99 for self-pay patients whenever the visit happens, and the treatment price is quoted in writing the same way for every patient. Calling on Sunday costs nothing and gets you seen sooner on Monday.
Further reading: the American Dental Association on handling dental emergencies and the CDC on oral health basics.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for an exam by a licensed dentist.