Emergency dentists, essentially, treat dental emergencies. A dental emergency is one where the need for treatment is urgent. Delayed treatment for some types of dental injuries can permanently damage the affected tooth/teeth. It can also result in blood loss and unnecessary trauma for the patient. During these times, you may want to seek treatment from an emergency dentist.

Emergency Dental Services

Not all dentists offer emergency dental services. So, it is important to find a good emergency dentist in your location before you will need urgent dental services. You can search online for emergency dentists. Use keywords such as emergency dentist Springfield VA (if Springfield is your location) or emergency dentist near me for your online search. You can also inquire about the availability of emergency dental services at your current dentist’s office.

There are dentists who only offer emergency services. Some dentists offer comprehensive services including emergency work. They often keep their schedules open to take up a few emergency cases every day.

Dental emergencies –

You may want to seek emergency care for a broken tooth, chipped tooth, tongue bites, lip cuts, severe toothache, and stuck objects between the teeth (that can cause pain). If there is dental injury; your emergency dentist will need to assess it for nerve damage also. Abscess tooth can cause severe pain; requiring emergency treatment.

If your braces get damaged; you will need to get the wires fixed without delay. A crown or dental implant can crack due to a fall or injury requiring you to seek urgent care.

Even if emergency treatment may consist of only applying composite resin to mend a chipped tooth; it needs to be done by a professional trained to offer such treatment. The resin will need to match the color of your tooth. It will need to be applied properly to actually hold the tooth together. For fixing broken teeth; the emergency dentist will also need to assess any damaged to the dental root or the nearby tissues.

Your dentist may also recommend steps to take in case you are faced with a dental emergency. For instance, in case of a cracked tooth; rinsing the mouth with some warm water followed by a cold compression can tide you over for the time it takes you to reach the dentist’s office. Many dentists also recommend keeping a knocked-out tooth soaked in milk until you can reach the clinic.  

Scheduling Appointments for Dental Emergencies

If your regular dentist offers emergency services; it is a good idea to ask the clinic staff for the best ways to schedule appointments for urgent care. If the regular dentist you go to is not in town or perhaps you want a new emergency dentist; you may want to call the new office and ask about the procedure to schedule the appointments.

You can inquire beforehand too regarding how to see an emergency dentist at odd hours such as in the middle of the night. Your regular dentist may recommend another on-call dentist offering emergency services if he or she is unavailable.

Your first thought can be to head to an emergency room in case of a dental injury. But dental care requires different kinds of expertise and tools. You might not get the kind of dental treatment you require in emergency rooms. It is best to go to an emergency dentist for urgent care.

If you find yourself facing a dental emergency; you can always call the dentist’s office and ask them to recommend the next steps. Oftentimes; what you may feel is a dental emergency may not be one. For instance; soreness in gums can cause discomfort but you don’t need to seek urgent care for it. But if there is an oral injury or if you experience severe pain; the best course of action is to call your dentist’s office. The dentist or the support staff will help you out with instructions. If you require emergency care; your dentist is likely to call you to the office immediately to assess your situation.

It is best to call the dentist’s office for an emergency care situation rather than wait for the morning or the clinic to officially open for the day.