Breaking a tooth or suddenly experiencing oral pain that refuses to go away can be both stressful and frightening, which is why it’s important to have an experienced St. John’s emergency dentist like Dr. Cohen to turn to. He will make room in his schedule to see you as soon as possible, and he’ll always take as much time as necessary to make sure you are comfortable with your treatment options. Get in touch with us immediately for dental relief when it’s needed most.
Why Choose Julington Creek Family Dentistry for Emergency Dental Care?
#1 Wide Variety of Treatments Performed In-House
#2 Same-Day Appointments for Emergency Patients
#3 A Dentist Who Always Prioritizes Your Comfort
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
It the midst of a dental emergency, it’s likely that you’ll feel somewhat overwhelmed and uncertain. Even so, we encourage you to stay calm. Acting quickly and correctly can make all the difference in a dental emergency, so follow these easy steps:
Step 1: Call Us Right Away. As soon as you realize something is wrong with your teeth or gums, you should call our dental office. We do everything we can to schedule same-day appointments for our emergency patients.
Step 2: Receive Personalized First-Aid Guidance. Over the phone, one of our experienced team members will walk you through some basic first aid tips for managing your situation until you can reach our office.
Step 3: Get an Emergency Exam from Dr. Cohen. Cohen will see you right away when you arrive to learn more about your emergency and alleviate any pain you may be in.
Step 4: Choose a Custom Treatment Plan. After reviewing the findings and fully explaining all your treatment options, Dr. Cohen will work with you to put together a custom treatment plan for getting your oral health back on track.
Step 5: Get the Gentle, Professional Care You Need. We offer a wide range of treatments right here in-house, so whether you need a root canal, gum disease treatment, tooth replacement, or even oral surgery, we can get to work right away repairing your smile and protecting your teeth.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies can have a variety of causes, but they all have at least one thing in common: they are only going to get worse if you ignore them. Even if you are unsure if your symptoms need urgent dental care, we encourage you to call as quickly as you can. Taking a “wait and see” approach could easily lead you to needing more extensive treatment later. At Julington Creek Family Dentistry, we treat all of the most common dental emergencies right here in-house, so you’ll always be able to turn to a team you already know and trust. Read on to learn more about how to manage some of the most common dental emergencies before your appointment and how we’re likely to treat them.
Before we move forward with treating the underlying cause of your dental emergency, we’ll take the time to answer a question that’s likely to be on your mind: how much will it cost? The final price won’t be the same for everyone since it depends heavily on the patient’s situation. The goal of treatment is to stop your pain and prevent further damage, so we’ll only make recommendations for services that you truly need to save your smile. We’ll only move forward once you understand the costs and your payment options.
No Two Emergencies Have the Same Price
Sometimes you might visit the emergency dentist and find that all you need to stop your toothache is a small filling. At other times, the toothache might be caused by an infection that needs to be removed by a root canal. And in the most severe cases, the tooth might have to be removed altogether and replaced. The treatment you get will vary depending on the problem and how severe it is, and naturally this affects the price. We therefore can only go over pricing information once we’ve finished examining your mouth. Don’t worry; you’ll have all the necessary cost-related information before we ask you to make a decision.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
You can typically count on your dental insurance to provide you with some coverage in the event of an emergency. Many plans help pay for at least one emergency exam per year, and the coverage for root canal therapy, dental crowns, and other treatments used to treat urgent dental issues usually falls in the 50% to 80% range. All dental insurance plans are unique, and there are yearly maximums and deductibles that can affect the amount the insurance provider is willing to pay. Consult with your insurance company to see what coverage is available for a specific treatment.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Even if you don’t have insurance, you always have the support of the Julington Creek Family Dentistry team. We can help you look into other options for making it easier to pay for dental care. For example, you can sign up for CareCredit financing so that the cost of your care is divided into several monthly payments that accommodate your personal budget. We can go into more detail about this financing option and walk you through the application process.
Save Money by Taking Care of Your Smile
Instead of waiting for dental emergencies to strike and paying for treatment afterwards, you can save money by preventing problems from occurring in the first place. Brushing your teeth and attending biannual checkups will lower your risk for tooth decay and issues, meaning you’re less likely to need more expensive treatments later. Another way to save money on emergency care is to call your emergency dentist in St. Johns as soon as you realize something is long. Waiting too long for treatment can make the problem more complex, and that makes the required care more expensive.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
There are numerous cases of dental emergencies every year. Although some of them aren’t preventable, like accidents and injuries, many of them can be avoided. Most patients needing urgent dental care are those experiencing decay that could have been stopped ahead of time. Whether it’s a simple toothache or a knocked-out tooth, there are several steps you can try that can significantly reduce your risks in your everyday life. Keep reading to learn five essential ways that can help you prevent dental emergencies in St. Johns!
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Certain dental issues like cracks, cavities, and infections can start small and develop into something worse if left unchecked. For this reason, it’s important that you schedule an appointment with our team every six months or sooner. We’ll monitor your oral health, detect any growing problems, and provide the necessary treatment before it becomes a bigger deal. We can also offer customized preventive care to ensure you understand how to keep dental emergencies at bay.
Keep Proper Oral Hygiene At Home
One of the best ways to protect your dental health is to maintain good dental hygiene daily. Without it, you can run the risk of allowing bacteria, plaque, and tartar to build up in your mouth. This can cause your enamel to weaken or your gums to become infected over time, which can become a dental emergency later on. To avoid these complications, make sure you brush for two minutes twice daily, floss at least once, and regularly rinse with mouthwash.
Maintain a Nutritious Diet
Most people know that sugary foods can be detrimental to your teeth due to causing cavities. You may also want to avoid overindulging in hard foods and acidic beverages, as these can gradually wear down your smile and make it more vulnerable to a dental emergency, like an abscess or cracked tooth. A few ways to prevent this is to stick to foods high in fiber, calcium, and vitamin C to naturally promote stronger and healthier pearly whites.
Wear a Mouthguard
Although your enamel is the most durable material in your body, it can still sustain damage if exposed to excessive or prolonged pressure. If you play contact sports where there’s a chance you can get hit in the face, then you might ask us about custom athletic mouthguards. Also, we may be able to help with personalized nightguards if you experience bruxism or grind your teeth while you sleep.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
You might be tempted to sometimes use your teeth as tools, whether to open a package or bottle quickly. Though this might make it convenient for you at the moment, doing so can easily become a dental emergency. Chipping or cracking your tooth like this can cost you more time and money than you’ll want to spend. Be sure not to use your teeth for anything other than eating food or smiling, and keep the proper tools handy so you can preserve a healthy smile.
Dental Emergency FAQs
Will My Toothache Go Away on its Own?
Unlike a headache or a stubbed toe, toothaches generally do not go away on their own. For this reason, it’s best to schedule a checkup with a dentist to get to the root of the problem. There are many potential causes for a toothache, so it’s important that you see a professional as soon as possible. Neglecting tooth pain and hoping it will suddenly disappear can lead to more serious dental trouble later down the line. Catching an underlying problem early on can likely save you from future discomfort and higher treatment costs. One important exception: some toothaches that involve pain around the tooth (not inside), such as gum irritation, can go away on their own. However, when in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact our office to schedule an appointment.
What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?
If you’re experiencing throbbing tooth pain, it’s likely a sign of an infection or inflammation within your tooth. The throbbing sensation may be linked to tooth decay. Cracks and cavities inside a tooth allow bacteria and air to reach the inner pulp. This can cause irritation and potentially lead to an infection of the pulp nerves, causing pain. In other cases, throbbing teeth could be due to chronic teeth grinding and clenching.
My Chipped Tooth Doesn’t Hurt. Do I Still Need to Visit?
You should always schedule an appointment with a dentist if you accidentally chip your tooth. Even if there is no pain, you won’t know for sure if the inner tooth is exposed until a dentist examines it. Moreover, a chipped tooth can break further without professional attention. So, while you probably don’t need to rush to our office, you should definitely call to set up an appointment immediately after your tooth is chipped. Dr. Cohen is an experienced emergency dentist in St. Johns and will determine the appropriate next steps after examining your tooth.
What Should I Keep in My Emergency Dentistry Kit?
While you can’t always prevent a dental emergency, you can always be prepared for one. An emergency dentistry kit will allow you to act fast if you accidentally damage a tooth. You can keep this small kit in the car, at work, or even in your purse when you’re on the go. Here is a list of items you should pack in your emergency dentistry kit:
Small storage container for teeth or restorations
Sterile gloves
Gauze pads and dressings
Cotton balls
Dental cement (or other temporary filling material)
Denture adhesive
Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen
Topical anesthetic such as Orajel or a similar product
Floss
Ice pack
Contact information for Julington Creek Family Dentistry
Is my toothache a dental emergency? Yes, a toothache in St. Johns can be a dental emergency if you’re in pain for more than 24 hours, develop a bump on your gum tissue, experience fever, fatigue, or swelling, or have increased sensitivity.
How you should handle a toothache: Rinsing with warm water and using dental floss or a water irrigator can help remove an object stuck between your teeth. If this is not the cause of your toothache, you’ll need to take a pain reliever medication and wait until your appointment.
How we treat toothaches: At Julington Creek Family Dentistry, we will examine your oral cavity and identify the underlying cause of your toothache. Once we’ve determined the reason for your pain, we’ll formulate a treatment plan that incorporates one or more of the following: antibiotics, tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, periodontal therapy, root canals, or tooth extraction.
We’ll go over the proposed plan with you, so you are not surprised at any point, and we’ll discuss financial options to help keep your expenses as low as possible.
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Your emergency dentist in St. Johns will be happy to see you within a few days of your injury unless you are in significant pain. Most chipped teeth do not require immediate help, but you should still plan to call our office and alert us to your situation.
How you should handle a chipped tooth: You will want to treat a chipped tooth similarly to a cracked one by using dental wax to protect your damaged tooth, natural teeth, and soft oral tissues. You’ll also want to retrieve the broken part of your tooth and bring it to your appointment. In the meantime, however, do not chew on that side of your mouth.
How we treat chipped teeth: We will treat your chipped tooth by attempting to re-bond it in place if possible. Otherwise, we will use cosmetic bonding if the chip is minor and can be easily fixed. We can also have customized veneers made to create a more uniform smile if you’re worried about your overall appearance.
Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? When dealing with a cracked tooth in St. Johns, you shouldn’t wait to seek emergency help. The vulnerable tooth can see bacteria penetrating the area or further damage if treatment is not sought as soon as possible.
How you should handle a cracked tooth: Using dental wax can help cover damaged areas of your tooth and better protect your soft oral tissues and teeth. You should also plan to eat on the other side of your mouth and avoid any hard or crunchy foods.
How we treat cracked teeth: Treating a cracked tooth requires using advanced dental technology to identify the location of the damage and its severity. You may not feel pain, but if the crack is deep enough, it can lead to worsening oral health problems that require a root canal or tooth extraction. If the crack is only minor, however, we may be able to treat it with cosmetic bonding or even a customized dental crown.
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency?: Do your teeth hurt when you bite into something hot or cold? That means you have sensitive teeth, which can be a side effect of exposed tooth roots, cracked teeth, and other oral health problems. Sensitive teeth count as an emergency if the pain is severe, long-lasting, or contained to one or two specific teeth.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: There isn’t just one cause for sensitive teeth, so when you call our office, we’ll tailor our advice based on your symptoms. Until you can come in for an appointment, drink plenty of lukewarm water and avoid anything overly spicy, acidic, or sweet that could make your sensitivity worse.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: Sensitive teeth are often caused by weakened or eroded enamel, so we may recommend special oral hygiene products or a fluoride treatment to help. The cause might also be linked to an infection of the teeth or the gums, in which case we can recommend an appropriate type of treatment.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency?: Your permanent teeth are not supposed to come out of your mouth under any circumstances, so it’s always an urgent oral health issue if one is knocked out of your mouth. It is possible to save knocked-out teeth, but the time to do so is limited; the cells on the root of the tooth can’t survive for very long on their own, and once they’re gone reimplantation is no longer possible. You should have your dentist’s contact information with you at all times so that you can set up an appointment right away should you ever have to deal with a knocked-out adult tooth.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: Pick up the tooth by the crown; do not touch the root or remove any tissue that’s still attached. Rinse off any debris without scrubbing. Put the tooth back in its socket or in the space between the gums and your cheek; you can also store it in a sealed container filled with milk.
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: As long as the tooth is still viable, we can attempt to reimplant it in the mouth to let it rejoin with the jawbone. Not every tooth can be saved, though, which is why we may recommend replacing it with a dental bridge, denture, or dental implant so that you don’t have to deal with the issues that come with untreated tooth loss.
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency?: Dental restorations like fillings and crowns aren’t expected to last forever, so if one does fall off, it’s not considered an emergency. It is, however, something you’ll want to bring to our attention as soon as possible so that we can protect the tooth from infection or damage.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: If the restoration isn’t lost, save it and bring it with you to your appointment. Fillings shouldn’t be placed back inside your mouth, but you can sometimes put a crown back where it was to keep your tooth safe until your appointment. A small dab of toothpaste can help keep the crown on the tooth.
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: Our first choice is to try and recement the restoration back on the tooth, but that may not be possible with older fillings and crowns that are too weak or damaged to use anymore. Fortunately, we can always offer a new restoration so that you can continue to keep your tooth safe from damage.
Broken Denture
Is a broken denture a dental emergency?: A damaged denture can harm your gums, soft tissues, jaw, and any remaining teeth. Call our office right away if the base or teeth of your denture are damaged.
How to handle a broken denture: Avoid wearing your denture if you can for the time being and keep it contained in water to prevent it from drying out. If you have a backup denture, you can use it in the meantime but do not use it as a replacement. Avoid using denture repair kits as well.
How we treat broken dentures: If the damage is minor, we may be able to repair it at our office. However, more severe damage will require an outright replacement. If this is the case, it may be worth considering an upgrade to an implant denture instead.
Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency?: Also known as extruded or partially dislodged, loose teeth are always a dental emergency. Call us immediately to schedule a visit and reduce the risk of them falling out.
How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Avoid touching or wiggling the tooth with your fingers or tongue. Take painkillers as needed. Use a cold compress if swelling develops. Do not chew any food on the side of the mouth with the loose tooth.
How we treat loose permanent teeth: If the tooth cannot be saved, we may need to extract it. Otherwise, we will do our best to splint the tooth so it can reintegrate with the jawbone.
Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency?: While oral cuts can be quite concerning, our office may be able to help if you can get the bleeding to stop ahead of your visit. If you are, call our office. If you cannot, go to the emergency room.
How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Clean the area with water to wash away any debris. Apply pressure to the wound using a clean washcloth or gauze pad. Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the area to bring down swelling and discomfort.
How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: We can stitch the wound closed if you can stop the bleeding beforehand. If bleeding does not stop after about 10 minutes, head to a hospital first and then come to our office for closer evaluation.
Is jaw pain a dental emergency?: Jaw pain is not typically a cause for urgency, but it can get in the way of your day-to-day life if it becomes chronic. Give us a call if you experience jaw pain upon waking up or if it doesn’t seem to get better.
How you should handle jaw pain: Common instructions we give over the phone when you call include taking over-the-counter painkillers and using an ice pack to ease any swelling or discomfort that appears. However, you should go to the emergency room first if you believe your jaw is broken or dislocated.
How we treat jaw pain: Chronic jaw pain is a common symptom of bruxism, which can be alleviated in the long-term with a nightguard from our office. However, it’s also possible that your wisdom teeth are erupting, resulting in complications related to your jaw joints. No matter the cause, we’ll be happy to work with you directly to create a personalized treatment plan.
If anything is caught in between your teeth, do not under any circumstances use tweezers, toothpicks, or any other sharp objects to try and remove it. Not only can these tools push the debris further into your mouth, but they can easily injure your gums or damage your enamel. A much safer and more effective solution is to brush your teeth and use dental floss to try and dislodge the material. You can also rinse your mouth out with warm saltwater. If the debris is still stuck, call our office.
