Dental Emergencies
There’s never a great time for dental emergencies. Whether it’s from an injury or trauma, decay, or infection, we know that they can be downright unbearable. Add to that the headache of trying to get an appointment at a trustworthy dental office right away and it’s enough to make anyone lose their mind.
Luckily, our practice is designed to make dental emergencies manageable. Having two doctors at our practice is better than one, and if you ever are in the unfortunate situation of needing immediate dental care, you’ll be happy you found us.
There’s no need to call every office in town. Our new and established patients enjoy:
- Same-day appointments for most dental emergencies on weekdays with flexible scheduling to suit your needs
- On-call appointments on Fridays and the weekends for established patients
- Digital scheduling for patients to make appointing easy and seamless
- Judgement-free visits where your care is our priority, whatever your dental history
- Gentle, compassionate, and expert dental diagnosis at every visit to prevent dental emergencies from happening in the first place
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, don’t wait! Give us a call and we’ll be happy to get you in for care ASAP.
What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?
Emergency dental care is needed for any incident involving your mouth which requires immediate medical attention. The most common problems are severe pain and uncontrollable bleeding. If a tooth has been knocked out or simply knocked loose, it is considered an emergency. Severe infections can lead to an abscess and cause considerable pain and swelling and possibly be life-threatening.
Dental accidents, abscessed tooth removal, root canal, dental bridges, emergency fillings, broken fillings, tooth extractions, broken teeth, fractured teeth, and even swollen jaw problems can all be handled in our dental office.
When Should You See an Emergency Dentist?
Most minor cracks and chips are not serious and do not merit a visit to an emergency dental clinic. In that case, simply make an appointment within the week with a cosmetic dentist. If a tooth cracks or breaks and you can see yellow dentin or red exposed pulp and it is accompanied by severe pain or bleeding, then it should be treated as an emergency. Call your emergency dentist in Harrisonburg immediately.
Things to remember in case you break or chip your tooth:
- Rinse your mouth out with warm water
- Apply pressure to stop any bleeding
- Preserve your broken tooth in milk, saline solution, water, or your own saliva
- Apply a cold compress to reduce pain and swelling
- Take an over-the-counter painkiller
- See an emergency dentist as soon as possible
Dental treatments for broken or chipped teeth vary from case to case, and your dentist will discuss the options available in your situation. The best possible thing you or anyone can do for the well-being of a broken tooth is to see an emergency dentist.
What Happens During Treatment of Dental Emergencies?
Before anything can be done, your dentist needs to determine what the problem is. The dentist will look for worrying signs such as gum inflammation, infection, and exposed nerves. They will then examine for any damage to wisdom teeth, lost or loose crowns, and any broken teeth that have rough edges.
Pain will be treated, as well as swelling and treatment of facial trauma that is affecting the teeth. But that doesn’t mean the problem can be completely fixed in one appointment. Mending the underlying problem may take an additional visit. However, an emergency dentist can provide a temporary solution to buy you more time.
When you come in for emergency dental care, you may not be in the right frame of mind to make decisions about your treatment as well as dental insurance and the costs involved. You can get help for pain now and then make decisions later. Make sure to get directions before heading our way.
For our patients’ convenience, you are able to fully book your dental appointments online. Following your appointment, you’ll receive a confirmation email and our staff will follow-up with you to send you any paperwork.
