A dental emergency in Arlington can happen at any moment. You might trip and fall, or your child might incur a sports injury, or your spouse may wake up with a terrible toothache. Oftentimes, these scary situations are sudden and alarming. Thankfully, at Encore Dentistry, we’re here to provide professional dental care when you need it most! If you or a loved one is in pain, don’t hesitate to call us right away.
You should always call our office first in the event of a dental emergency. Doing so will give you a chance to schedule an appointment with us and ask any questions you have about improving your situation overall. Of course, the type of emergency you’re experiencing will influence what you should do next. In general, here’s what you can expect when you call us for a dental emergency:
Slight discomfort in the mouth is relatively common, so how do you know when you’re having a real emergency? Contact our office right away if you have any uncertainty about your dental emergency. A dental emergency is called an emergency for a reason—it should be treated as soon as possible. Unlike other medical conditions that can get better with time, dental emergencies will only grow worse if left untreated. Prolonging a visit to our office can result in more pain as well as the possibility for more expensive and extensive dental care. If you experience any of the following dental emergencies, don’t hesitate to call us immediately.
Determining the cost of your dental emergency is difficult without first completing a more detailed exam of your dental issue. Some emergencies, like an oral infection, can vary in cost, depending on whether you need a root canal or prescription antibiotics. No matter what your needs are, we are dedicated to getting you out of pain and working with you to create a treatment plan that’s affordable.
One of the biggest determining factors for the cost of treating a dental emergency is, of course, the type of emergency. If you just need some antibiotics, you will likely pay less than if you require an extensive or complex procedure. Really, there is no way to know how much your treatment will cost before a dentist is able to evaluate the situation, determine the extent of the damage, and discuss your treatment options with you.
You might have a few different options when it comes to emergency treatment. For example, it might be possible to address a broken or infected tooth with either root canal therapy or an extraction. An extraction might cost less upfront, but it may be more expensive in the long-term due to the price of tooth replacement. Root canal therapy has a higher upfront cost, but it is generally better for oral health. You may have to decide on other factors involved in your treatment as well. For example, you might choose to be sedated.
Our team will discuss all of your treatment options with you, including their pros, cons, and prices, so you can make a fully informed decision.
Emergency dentistry is certainly worth the investment. If you try to ignore your dental problem or delay treatment for more than a few days, you give the issue the opportunity to worsen. The worse it gets, the more expensive treatment is likely to be. Seeking treatment as soon as possible may help to mitigate the cost of your appointment.
You’ll need to check your specific policy to find out how it applies to the treatments involved in emergency dentistry. Most types of insurance cover at least 50% of the cost of major services, such as root canal therapy. Our team will help you navigate your dental benefits and use them in the most advantageous way possible.
Dental emergencies are stressful and painful, which is why we help our patients try to avoid them at all costs. While we offer urgent dental care at Encore Dentistry, because we understand that accidents are unpredictable and happen, we’d rather see our patients in good spirits and healthy than in discomfort. By putting precautionary measures in place to help you avoid broken, knocked-out, or damaged teeth, you can avoid an unexpected visit to our office!
One of the best preventive measures you can take to avoid a dental emergency is to stick to your regular dental hygiene routine. Regularly clearing plaque from your teeth to prevent it from hardening into tartar by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash, will help you avoid bacteria build-up. It’s also important to visit our office every six months for your checkup and cleaning so we can address any oral health problems that may occur while they’re still small and easier to treat.
Many people don’t realize that their daily diet has a significant impact on their oral health. Foods that are high in sugars and carbohydrates help facilitate the accumulation of harmful oral bacteria that are known to play a primary role in the formation of gum disease and decay. As you chew your food, it combines with your saliva to form a thin and sticky biofilm called plaque that adheres to the surface of your teeth and traps bacteria. The bacteria then feed off of the sugars and carbohydrates in the plaque and produce waste in the form of enamel-eroding acid and toxins that can cause your gums to become inflamed, swollen, and bloody.
When you substitute healthier alternatives like fresh fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your risk of developing oral health problems. Fibrous vegetables, such as celery and carrots, even help naturally brush away plaque when you chew them!
There are several habits that can impact your teeth and increase your risk of damaging your mouth. Some of these include:
Fortunately, if you grind your teeth or play sports, your dentist in Arlington offers customized protective mouthguards to help you avoid a dental emergency. They’re made from high-quality and durable materials that help cushion your facial muscles, jawbone, and teeth, so you don’t have to worry about being in a predicament.
When a dental emergency in Arlington strikes, your mind is probably racing with questions about how you should handle the situation. Whether you suddenly had a bad fall that broke your tooth, or you’ve been dealing with a toothache for some time now, the best thing to do is remain calm and give our team at Encore Dentistry a call. We’ll be happy to get you in for urgent care as soon as we can, but in the meantime, you can also look over this list of frequently asked questions we get about emergency dentistry.
In most cases, hospital emergency rooms actually don’t have the resources or training necessary to effectively treat specific dental emergencies. Patients often head straight to the nearest ER when they have an urgent dental problem only to be disappointed when they’re prescribed antibiotics and told to visit a dentist instead. That’s why, more often than not, it’s best to travel to our dental office first.
That being said, going to the ER straight away is the better option when your case may also present life-threatening consequences. This includes situations where your jaw might be dislocated or broken, your face has serious lacerations that won’t stop bleeding, or if an oral infection is making it hard to breathe.
Unlike pain in most parts of the body, toothaches rarely go away on their own. If your tooth has been throbbing or feeling sore persistently, then there’s a chance that the culprit could be an infection in the tooth or its nearby gum tissue, known as an oral abscess. Other symptoms of an abscess include swollen or red gums, a tooth that feels loose, a constant bitter taste in the mouth, and a draining sore in the gums.
While we’ll need to perform a close examination to determine whether an infection is to blame, these symptoms al indicate that you should visit an emergency dentist in Arlington immediately. After all, when it comes to the health of your smile, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Even though tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the human body, it’s incapable of healing itself. Once enamel has been chipped, eroded, or otherwise damaged, it cannot regenerate. That’s why we highly recommend placing a restoration over a chipped tooth to protect it from further breakage. One of our most convenient methods of repairing a broken tooth is a one-day dental crown, which we can conveniently design, create, and place in just a single appointment.
Baby teeth are meant to eventually fall out of their own accord, so if your child has lost one of these teeth, it’s not necessarily a dental emergency. However, it’s possible for baby teeth to come out too soon, which can cause problems down the line. For example, the adjacent teeth may shift and block the underlying permanent tooth from erupting properly. This may negatively impact your child’s oral development and require invasive treatments to correct. If your little one’s baby tooth has been knocked out, call us right away, especially if their mouth is bleeding profusely or if they’re experiencing severe discomfort.
I Need a Dental Checkup & Cleaning I am Worried About Gum Disease I Have a Cavity or Broken Tooth I am Missing 1 or More Teeth I Want a Straighter Smile I am Interested in Cosmetic Dentistry View Our Services