Emergency Dentistry – Bedford, VA

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies are generally caused either by poor oral hygiene or some form of trauma. As soon as you start experiencing severe or unusual dental pain, or as soon as you realize that you’ve suffered from an oral injury, give us a call. We’ll give you some advice for dealing with the situation on your own until you can get to our dental office. Below are some tips to keep in mind in the event of some common dental emergencies.

Toothaches

Some tooth pain is caused by food getting stuck in your teeth, and you can relieve it by flossing or rinsing your mouth. If that doesn’t help, you may have an infected tooth. Until you can be treated, take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and periodically apply an ice bag to your face over the affected area.

Chipped/Broken Tooth

Recover any parts of the tooth that you can and place it in a container with a lid. Bring said container with you to your emergency appointment. To keep the rest of your mouth safe, cover the rough or jagged edges of your teeth with orthodontic wax.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Make every effort to get to our dental office in less than an hour. Pick the knocked-out tooth up by the end you use to chew; do not touch the root. Gently rinse off any debris before attempting to put the tooth back in its socket. You can also store it in a container filled with milk or salt water.

Lost Filling/Crown

Pick up the filling or crown and question, rinse it off, and try to put it back on the tooth if you can. Dental cement or toothpaste can work as a temporary adhesive. Avoid chewing with the affected tooth until you’ve been treated and try to stay away from hard or crunchy foods altogether.

Head/Neck/Jaw Pain

Bruxism (more commonly known as teeth grinding) is a common dental problem among patients who suffer from daily stress, often affecting them as they sleep. When left untreated, this habit can lead to many unpleasant consequences including facial pain, headaches, oral damage, and even the development of the near-debilitating TMJ disorder. Thankfully, our team offers customized nightguards to help minimize damage to your smile and ease your discomfort.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

Not every dental emergency is one that can be prevented, but you can protect your smile by:

• Wearing a protective mouthguard while playing sports or engaging in any physical activity that carries a risk of dental injury
• Not biting down on ice, fingernails, pen tips, or anything else hard enough to crack or wear down enamel
• Not using your teeth as tools to open packages or bottles
• Brushing and flossing at least twice daily
• Visiting PeaksView Dental for regular checkups and cleanings

The Cost of Dental Emergencies

How much will it cost to have your dental emergency treated? Do you have minor dental damage that can easily be taken care of with a filling or a crown? Or are you suffering from a severe infection that might call for a root canal or a tooth extraction? The only way to know for sure what kind of treatment you require is to have your smile examined as quickly as possible. Once we have a grasp on your situation, we can give you an estimate of the final cost of your emergency.

Root Canals

If teeth become too decayed to successfully receive a tooth-colored filling or dental crown, our team may recommend root canal therapy as a last resort. This endodontic treatment can typically be performed in just one appointment by Dr. Polk right here in the PeaksView Dental offices. His dental office is limited to endodontic care, and he relies on the latest techniques and tools to create truly transformative results for patients in the same convenient location you and your family know and love.

Root canal therapy involves bacteria and pulp being cleaned out of the tooth’s inner chamber and replaced with safe, biocompatible material. A custom restoration placed on top can rebuild lost strength and structure while allowing patients to maintain a beautifully natural smile.

Learn More About Root Canals

Tooth Extractions

Extracting teeth is done as a last resort. We’ll only recommend it when there’s no other way to protect your oral health while saving the teeth in question. A tooth might need to be removed if it’s suffering from a particularly advanced infection or if it’s been broken severely enough that a crown cannot be used to fix it. Also, we can remove wisdom teeth if they have become infected or otherwise cannot safely remain in your mouth.