Emergency Dentist
Fast, Comfortable Care in Your Hour of Need
Dental emergencies never happen at a good time. Maybe you’re experiencing searing sensitivity in the back of the mouth while trying to stay busy at work, or maybe your daughter trips down the stairs and cracks a tooth right before school. Whatever your family’s circumstances are, you need help now in these situations.
At Charlottesville Blue Ridge Dental and Crozet Blue Ridge Dental, our staff always has built-in coverage for emergency situations. Dr. Minutella and Dr. Feehan are experts at relieving pain fast, and you can trust them to help you get back to your regular routine in record time. We’ll do everything in our power to see you on the same day as your initial call, so don’t hesitate to contact either of our locations.
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies can occur as a result of longstanding oral health issues, or they may happen suddenly because of physical trauma. As your emergency dentist in Charlottesville, we are ready to handle both types of situations. Before your appointment, however, there may be some steps you can take on your own to manage your pain and minimize the damage to your smile.
Toothaches
Over the counter pain relievers, applying clove oil to the gums, or rinsing with saltwater could help to minimize your discomfort. When you arrive at our emergency dental office in Charlottesville, we might have to perform root canal therapy to preserve the tooth.
Chipped/Broken Tooth
If any large pieces of the tooth have come loose, keep them close by and bring them with you to your emergency appointment. Facial swelling is likely to occur, but you can minimize it by holding a cold compress against the appropriate cheek.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Contact us as soon as possible, and then try to place and hold the tooth back in its original socket. If the tooth is visibly dirty, other great options are tooth preservation solutions such as Save-A-Tooth or saline. If you don’t have any of these options handy, place it in a container of milk. The goal is to keep your tooth as moist as possible until you receive treatment for your dental emergency in Crozet.
Lost Filling/Crown
You might be able to temporarily reattach a crown with a dab of dental cement. However, you should be careful not to chew with any tooth that has lost its restoration. It is probable that we will have to provide you with a brand new filling or crown.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
You can reduce your chances of suffering a dental emergency if you:
- Brush your teeth twice a day
- Floss once a day
- Do not overconsume sugary or acidic foods and beverages
- Do not use tobacco
- Do not bite down on anything extremely hard
- Do not use your teeth as a tool to open packages or trim your fingernails
- Visit your dentist at least twice a hear for a cleaning and checkup
- Always wear a mouthguard when you play sports
The Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies
The cost for your treatment will depend on the specifics of your situation. If you need something as simple as a prescription, your cost will logically be less than if you require an extensive procedure. Our team will give you a candidate estimate for the cost of any treatment we recommend. We’ll also help you explore your payment options, including insurance and financing. If you are a member of our in-house savings plan, your emergency exam and X-rays will be provided at no out of pocket cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you’re in the middle of a dental emergency, a million different questions can run through your mind all at once. Well, we can help answer some of those questions for you right here right now. We hope that these will enable you to prevent, or at least minimize damage from, a dental emergency.
What Can Cause a Dental Emergency?
There’s an unlimited number of scenarios that can end with a dental emergency, but the following are some general examples:
- An injury or fall that puts a lot of force onto your mouth.
- Decay that has reached the inner layers of your tooth.
- Wear and tear on tooth enamel, making it weak and vulnerable.
- Using your teeth to open packaging or pry open bottles.
How Can I Prevent a Dental Emergency?
Although not all dental emergencies can be avoided, many can. Here are some things you can do to ensure your smile’s safety and health:
- Brush twice and floss once daily.
- Visit one of our offices for dental checkups and cleanings every six months.
- Wear a sports mouthguard when you participate in risky activities, such as contact sports or riding a bike.
- Do not use your teeth as tools. Find scissors, pliers, or whatever tool you need to get the task done safely.
- Avoid chewing on hard things like ice and pencils.
- Refrain from biting your nails.
- Talk to us about potentially getting a nightguard if you grind or clench your teeth during sleep.
By taking these precautions, you can eliminate situations where your teeth become vulnerable to decay or damage.
What Should I Do if I Have an Object Stuck Between My Teeth?
Your teeth have little gaps between them, and sometimes bits of food or even little pieces of hard things you chew can get stuck. If big enough and left there, these things can result in the formation of harmful plaque, cause soreness, or even lead to your teeth shifting. If you feel that something is stuck between your teeth, try to use floss to gently loosen it. If flossing doesn’t work, contact our office. Do not use try to use sharp objects or tools to poke or pry the stuck object out. You could damage your gums and tooth enamel.
How Can Blue Ridge Dental Help Fix My Dental Emergency?
Our experienced team knows how to address every dental emergency efficiently and effectively, all while treating you with compassion and a gentle touch. We can relieve your pain and have you back to full oral health in no time. With three dentists and two convenient locations, we’ve got you covered!
More specifically, we can reposition a knocked-out tooth correctly and place a splint that will support it as the tissues heal. For toothaches, we may need to perform a root canal to remove all the decay in your tooth. If your tooth is broken, we can try to reassemble it and filling in cracks with tooth-colored composite resin to protect it from bacteria.
No matter what your dental emergency is, you can rely on our team at Blue Ridge Dental to get you through it. Contact us for an appointment today!