During a dental emergency, the first response for most people is panic. The second may be feeling unsure of how to respond. For Ellington dentistry patients of Zahner Dental, we are here to help whenever you need us most – including emergency dental appointments. In most cases, we’re able to see patients on the same day they call us, but one of our team members will also walk you through first aid and pain management over the phone to ensure your comfort and safety until you reach our office. If you experience a dental emergency, contact our team right away for urgent dental care. We’ll get you into our office to relieve pain and renew your oral health.
Why Choose Zahner Dental for Emergency Dental Care?
Same-Day Dental Emergency Appointments
Dental Insurance Welcome & Flexible Financing Available
Contact our office. The sooner you call us, the better chance we have of saving your smile. When you call our team, we’ll walk you through at-home care to help you manage your situation in the meantime.
See our team for an emergency exam. When you get to our office, we’ll perform a thorough emergency exam and take X-rays to identify the root cause of your problem. Based on our findings, we’ll create a custom treatment plan to get your oral health back on the right track.
Get the care you need. During your appointment, we may be able to temporarily relieve your pain with anesthesia or sedation. However, you’ll likely have to return for additional treatment to fully address your emergency. Some common solutions include fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, and gum disease treatment.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
The most important thing to remember during a dental emergency is that your safety and comfort are our top priorities. If you think your oral health concern requires urgent intervention, it likely does. Don’t hesitate to give us a call and schedule an emergency appointment. We’ll work quickly to get you seen as soon as possible. In the meantime, click on the icons below to learn how to handle some of the most common dental emergencies!
If you have a dental emergency, paying the bill is the last thing that should be on your mind. However, it’s normal to worry about the amount you’ll have to pay. Various factors affect the cost of emergency dentistry in Ellington, but we strive to keep our services affordable for everyone, even if money is tight. Our priority is to stop your pain and then find the solution you need to rehabilitate your smile without breaking the bank.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
No two dental emergencies are identical, so it’s impossible to have a pre-determined fee for urgent services. A cookie-cutter treatment plan just won’t work. Therefore, the cost of your treatment depends on many factors, like the complexity of the situation and the procedure required. Although every case differs, common treatments include:
Dental crowns
Tooth extractions
Periodontal therapy
Root canal therapy
TMJ treatment
After examining your smile and learning more about your situation, your emergency dentist in Ellington will create a personalized plan. We’ll provide you with an estimate, and a member of our team will explain the fees. You’ll know exactly what you’ll have to pay before committing to anything.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Most dental plans can be used to offset the cost of your treatment. Although your benefits may not cover the entire amount, your dental insurance can be used to lower the fees of certain steps in your treatment, like the consultation, imaging, or restorations. After reaching your deductible, your insurance can cover up to 80% of the expenses. We will work on your behalf with your dental insurance to maximize your coverage.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Besides using your dental insurance, we offer various financial solutions to accommodate everyone’s budget, including:
Traditional Methods: Our office accepts cash, checks, and credit cards.
Membership Plan: Benefit from reduced rates for common services after a membership fee.
Third-Party Financing: Pay for your care in monthly installments using a third-party financing company, like CareCredit.
We will take the time to explain all your options so that nothing stands in the way of saving your smile.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
You can’t always stop a dental emergency from occurring, but there are several steps you can take to lessen your risk of one. Most emergency visits result from an underlying problem that wasn’t treated, like a cavity. You can ensure there aren’t any dental concerns lingering in your mouth by seeing your dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup. Keep your teeth and gums healthy in between your regular appointments by brushing and flossing daily.
Besides keeping your mouth clean, protect it from avoidable damage. Wear an athletic mouthguard if you play sports and don’t use your teeth as tools. It’s best to keep any inedible objects out of your mouth, including your fingernails. With a strong oral hygiene routine, preventive steps, and a healthy diet, you can avoid an unplanned trip to an emergency dentist.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
The best way to keep your smile whole, healthy, and free from pain is to maintain a thorough preventive dentistry routine. Brush your teeth twice a day, floss at least once a day, and visit our Ellington dentistry practice two times a year for dental checkups and professional teeth cleanings. Some other things you should keep in mind to avoid dental emergencies include:
Do not chew on ice, fingernails, pen caps, or other hard objects
Do not use your teeth as tools to open packages and crack nuts
Do wear a mouthguard if you grind and clench your teeth at night
Do use a sportsguard as directed while participating in athletic competitions or practices
Dental Emergency FAQs
What Is Considered a Dental Emergency?
You’re probably wondering what exactly counts as a dental emergency. The easiest way to tell is if you’re experiencing pain that takes away from your normal day-to-day tasks. This can include toothaches, broken teeth, cracked teeth, lost teeth, and more. If you do experience a toothache out of nowhere, try to floss around the area to remove any food debris that may be irritating. If your pain persists, call our office for treatment.
Should I Visit the Dentist or the ER?
In many cases, it’s best to visit our office because we specialize in oral healthcare, providing all of the treatments you need to get out of pain and back to smiling. However, some problems require an emergency visit, including issues with breathing, jaw injury, uncontrollable bleeding, deep facial wounds, and any other potentially life-threatening instances. These problems may even require general medical attention, which is why you should go to the ER right away.
When Should Dental Emergencies Get Treated?
Dental emergencies are called emergencies for a reason—they require urgent care! Unlike other medical conditions that can get better with time, dental problems will only get worse. For example, a lost tooth can be replanted if you visit our office immediately but waiting can result in the need for an artificial replacement. If you’re uncertain that you’re having an emergency, it’s always better to call our office to find out!
When Do I Need a Root Canal?
Root canal therapy is one of the most important emergency dentistry services we have to offer because it can prevent your tooth from needing extraction. One of our expert emergency dentists can use this treatment to carefully remove any infected or decayed tissue from the inside of your tooth while keeping it intact. After, they will strengthen and protect it to prevent additional pain and damage from occurring.
How Much Will My Dental Emergency Cost?
Because there are so many different types of dental emergencies that can occur, the cost of your treatment can vary. The best way to get a specific price estimate is to visit our office. We will carefully examine your smile and the issues affecting it before recommending the best treatment option. Our front desk staff is always ready to help with any insurance or payment questions you may have!
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our office to speak with one of our experts!
Toothaches
Is my toothache a dental emergency? These can be a sign of a problem as simple as a lodged popcorn kernel or as severe as an infection. If you’re experiencing any of the following, your situation constitutes a dental emergency:
Severe pain that lasts more than 24 hours
Sharp pain when biting down
Extreme sensitivity that lasts more than 30 seconds
A small bump has developed near the painful tooth
Signs of a serious infection (i.e., swelling, fever, fatigue)
How you should handle a toothache: Start by flossing and rinsing around the tooth, and if this doesn’t stop the pain, you can go ahead and take over-the-counter pain medication. Swishing with a warm saltwater solution can reduce discomfort as well. If there is swelling, apply a cold compress.
How we treat toothaches: Our team will need to perform a detailed oral examination to identify the cause of your toothache. Based on our findings, we’ll recommend a treatment option that’s best for your smile. Common solutions include fillings, dental crowns, antibiotics, prescription mouthwash, gum disease treatment, root canal therapy, and extraction.
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to visit our office that same day, or just in a timely manner. Failing to seek treatment will put your smile at risk of further damage and potential infection.
How you should handle a chipped tooth: Recover any pieces of the tooth you can find and place them in a safe container. Remember to bring them to our dental office. If the remaining tooth has a jagged edge, cover it with some sugarless gum to prevent it from accidentally injuring the inside of the mouth.
How we treat chipped teeth: Usually, we can fix a chipped tooth with composite resin. However, if you’ve damaged a highly visible tooth, you may want to opt for a veneer.
Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? Absolutely! Even a small crack can put your tooth at risk of further infection or damage. If you’ve sustained a blow to the face, contact our office right away and schedule an emergency appointment. You may have hidden damage, especially if you’re experiencing pain or sensitivity.
How you should handle a cracked tooth: Carefully rinse your mouth with warm water to wash away any lingering bacteria. If needed, you can take over-the-counter pain medication or use a cold compress to ease your discomfort. While you wait for your appointment, avoid chewing or eating with the injured side of your mouth.
How we treat cracked teeth: We treat most cases of cracked teeth with a custom-made dental crown. If the damage is minor, we may be able to repair your smile using composite resin. In any other case, you might need to get an extraction and explore your tooth replacement options.
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Your tooth might become sensitive if its roots have been exposed or if it has been damaged in some way. It’s important to have a sensitive tooth examined quickly so that we can narrow down the underlying problem. Tooth sensitivity should always be treated as a potential emergency if it becomes severe and/or lasts several days in a row.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: There could be a few different reasons for your sensitivity, so the steps you need to take to manage it at home might vary. If you call our office, one of our team members will consider your symptoms and give you first-aid advice tailored to your situation.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: We’ll put together a treatment plan after we’ve examined your mouth and figured out what’s causing your discomfort. For weakened or eroded enamel, we might suggest fluoride treatments or desensitizing toothpaste. If the sensitivity is linked to an oral health issue like a tooth infection, we will recommend an appropriate form of treatment.
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Losing a permanent tooth is always an urgent dental problem. It’s possible to save a knocked-out tooth, but if it’s out of your mouth for too long, it will quickly become unviable. That means there isn’t any time to lose; you need to call our office the moment your tooth comes out of your mouth if you want to have any chance of saving it. Try to get to our office as soon as you can. Ideally, you should arrive less than an hour following the initial trauma.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: Handle the tooth with care; do not touch the roots, and do not scrub when you rinse off any debris. To preserve the tooth, you can try to put it back in its original socket. If this isn’t an option, you can also put it in a container of milk or saline solution. (Do not store it in water; this could damage the roots and lower your chances of success.)
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: We can try to reimplant the tooth as long as it’s still viable and isn’t badly damaged. That said, not every knocked-out tooth can be saved; sometimes, the better option is to fill in the gap with a partial denture, dental bridge, or single dental implant.
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Older crowns and fillings often break or fall off the tooth. This is normal, and it’s not always an emergency if it happens. However, you still need to call our office and schedule an appointment as soon as possible; your tooth could be at risk for infection if it’s left exposed for too long.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: If you still have the restoration, keep it in a safe place so that you can bring it with you to your appointment. Crowns can sometimes be reseated with a small amount of dental cement; please remember, though, that this is only a temporary measure and is not a substitute for seeing the dentist.
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: We’ll examine the restoration (if you have it) to see what kind of condition it’s in. We may be able to reattach it to the tooth if it hasn’t been damaged too badly. That said, we can also provide an entirely new filling or crown if your older restoration is no longer usable or has been lost entirely.
Is a Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! Wearing a broken denture will cause you to experience issues with your gums, soft tissues, jaw, and any remaining teeth you have. If your artificial teeth or denture base has become damaged, you should call our office right away.
How to Handle a Broken Denture: Do not continue wearing your broken denture in Ellington. The best course of action would be to schedule an appointment with our team as soon as possible. Although you can buy a denture repair kit from your local store, it’s only a temporary solution to hold you over until you make it to your dentist.
How We Treat Broken Dentures: We’ll need to assess the severity of the damage to determine the best treatment method. Based on the extent, we may use composite resin or readjust your oral appliance to ensure it fits properly. If it’s broken beyond repair, we may recommend that you get it replaced.
Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? There are many reasons a permanent tooth may become loose, extruded, or partially dislodged. If that ever happens, you need to schedule an emergency appointment right away, even if you don’t feel pain.
How You Should Handle a Loose Permanent Tooth: Call our office as soon as you notice you have a loose permanent tooth or dental implant. While you wait for your appointment, do not touch the tooth or eat hard, sticky foods. If desired, you can clean your mouth by rinsing it with warm water.
How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: If your loose tooth in Ellington cannot be salvaged, we may need to extract it. That means you’ll need to explore your tooth replacement options, like dentures, bridges, or implants.
Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Oral injuries can be alarming, especially if they lead to bleeding gums, lips, or tongue. Be sure to call us and explain your symptoms so we can provide you with the best next steps.
How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Carefully rinse your mouth with warm water to eliminate any lingering debris. You can apply gauze or a clean washcloth to the injury to control any bleeding. If needed, you can also use a cold compress to minimize swelling and discomfort.
How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: If the cut is small enough, we may be able to stitch it closed. However, you should go to your nearest ER if your injury is very large or bleeding uncontrollably.
Jaw Pain
Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Not necessarily! While it can affect your day-to-day life, it’s not usually considered an emergency. Of course, you should call our office if your pain becomes chronic.
How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: Over the phone, we’ll share tips to help you manage your situation until you come in to see our emergency dentist in Ellington. We typically recommend taking over-the-counter pain medication and using cold compresses. However, you should go to your nearest emergency room if you think your jaw is broken or dislocated.
How We Treat Jaw Pain: The most common solution for jaw pain is a custom mouthguard. It’ll provide relief to your jaw joints as a result of teeth grinding and clenching. If your wisdom teeth are erupting, then removing them will likely be the best solution.
Be it food debris or something else, discomfort can arise if an object gets stuck between your teeth. Start by using wax-coated floss to gently push out any food particles that may be caught. Never use a toothpick or other sharp tool that could harm your enamel. To help loosen the debris, rinse your mouth with warm water beforehand. If discomfort continues, whether you were able to get the object out or not, call our dental office so we can confirm no serious issues are present.
