There’s no denying that dental emergencies rarely happen when it’s convenient. That’s why it’s important to know where you can turn for assistance. Our team of dentists is dedicated to offering emergency care for our patients. Whether you’ve just lost or fractured a permanent tooth, you’re struggling with a severe toothache, or you’ve lost a temporary prosthetic, call us right away. We will always do our best to provide same-day care for emergencies.
Why Choose Dix Hills Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?
Team of Dentists with Years of Advanced Training
Dental Insurance Welcome & In-House Savings Plan Available
We Welcome Patients of All Ages
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
Even though dental emergencies are typically very alarming and overwhelming, we encourage you to stay calm. Your best course of action is to act quickly and correctly so you can prevent any further damage to your smile. If you or a loved one experiences a dental emergency, follow these steps:
Step 1: Call us as soon as you can so we can schedule you for a same-day emergency appointment.
Step 2: Follow our over-the-phone first aid instructions for how to handle your situation until you can reach us.
Step 3: See your Dix Hills emergency dentist for an exam, where they’ll focus on alleviating your pain and evaluating your symptoms.
Step 4: Review their findings and treatment recommendations, and work with them to create a custom treatment plan that’s right for you.
Step 5: Get the fast, professional care you need right away, whether you need a filling, crown, root canal therapy, tooth extraction and replacement, or something else entirely!
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Some dental emergencies, such as a broken or knocked-out tooth, obviously need urgent attention. However, other issues like severe toothaches or tooth sensitivity aren’t as easy to identify as an emergency. A general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you are experiencing pain, damage, or any other type of unusual symptom in your mouth that is distracting you from your daily activities, you should call us right away for urgent dental care. We’ll be able to assess your situation over the phone and guide you through what steps you need to take next. Below, you’ll find some important information about how to handle the most common dental emergencies we treat.
Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Yes, a toothache in Dix Hills should be seen by a dentist sooner rather than later. A toothache can be caused by something lodged between your teeth, a cavity, facial trauma, or a serious infection. It is better to receive help before the condition worsens. If you experience fever, pain that lasts longer than 24 hours, or discoloration around or on the tooth, call our office right away.
How You Should Handle a Toothache: If an object is lodged between your teeth, make sure to remove it using waxed dental floss. If this is not the problem, take an over-the-counter pain reliever and wait until you can get in for an appointment.
How We Treat Toothaches: Our dental team will work to quickly eliminate your pain before addressing the underlying issue. Once we review digital imaging and perform a visual exam, we’ll determine the best solution to fix your problem tooth. This can include everything from a tooth-colored filling to antibiotics to dental crowns, periodontal therapy, root canal therapy, or even a tooth extraction.
Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not necessarily. Although it’s recommended that you get in for treatment as soon as possible, you typically do not need to seek same-day help for a chipped tooth. It is important that you contact our team, though, just to let us know of your situation so that we can identify a time for you to come in and meet with our emergency dentist in Dix Hills.
How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth: A chipped tooth can be bothersome, especially if there are any jagged parts of the tooth. If so, make sure to cover them so as not to harm your cheeks, gums, lips, or tongue. You might also want to chew on the other side of your mouth. If possible, try to bring the broken piece of tooth with you to your appointment.
How We Treat Chipped Teeth: At Dix Hills Family Dentistry, our team will survey the damage and determine if you need dental bonding, which can quickly fix the tooth in just one appointment, or veneers, which are more invasive but last significantly longer. Depending on the state of your tooth and the seriousness of the chip, we will opt for the right solution that will give you back the full functionality of your smile.
Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, you should get in to see us right away if you discover you have a cracked tooth in Dix Hills. The problem is that you may not realize you have a damaged tooth, especially if the crack occurs beneath the visible surface. If you sustain facial trauma or something simply doesn’t feel right, go ahead and call our office to schedule an appointment.
How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth: Make sure to rinse out your mouth with warm salt water to flush out any bad oral bacteria that might try to penetrate the cracked tooth. If there are jagged areas that might harm your soft oral tissues, cover them with dental wax or sugarless gum. You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever until it’s time for your appointment.
How We Treat Cracked Teeth: Fixing a cracked tooth requires determining the severity of the damage as well as its location. If the crack is only minor, dental bonding can be used to quickly repair the problem area and restore its functionality. However, if the tooth is severely cracked but remains functional, we’ll have a customized dental crown created and placed over the vulnerable tooth. If it is too badly damaged, however, it may need to be removed and replaced with a dental bridge, partial denture, or dental implant.
Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Sometimes they are. Sometimes they aren’t. The best way to tell is by assessing your symptoms. If your discomfort lasts more than 24 hours or you’re experiencing other warning signs of dental damage, like pain when biting down, call us ASAP.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: Although you can’t treat tooth decay, gum disease, and the like at home, you can alleviate your discomfort in the short-term. With this in mind, try taking an OTC pain reliever, avoiding crunchy foods, and sticking to room-temperature water.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: After conducting a thorough exam, we’ll review our findings and share our treatment recommendations. Most often, the sensitivity is the result of an untreated cavity, which can be treated with a tooth-colored filling or dental crown.
Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! Whether you knocked out a front tooth or a back molar, getting to our Dix Hills dental office is a top priority. After all, we only have about a 60-minute window where we can save your tooth.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: If you have your tooth, you have two options: you can gently place it back in the socket or submerge it in a clean container filled with milk. If you don’t have your tooth, that’s okay – just focus on getting to our office for treatment.
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: Sometimes, we can save your tooth. Although that’s always our goal, there are some cases where that’s simply not possible, like if it was lost in the shuffle. In that case, we will fill the new space in your smile with a dental bridge or implant.
Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Usually, yes, both a lost filling and a lost dental crown are considered dental emergencies and warrant a call to our Dix Hills dental office.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: There are two priorities: preserving your restoration and protecting your tooth from harm. So, place your restoration somewhere safe (like a small, clean container) and avoid chewing on that side of your mouth, especially crunchy, hard, and sticky foods.
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: If your dental crown is relatively new, then the answer may be as simple as re-cementing it in place. If it’s time to replace your restoration, then we will begin the process of having a new one made to prevent this dental emergency from arising again anytime soon.
Root canal treatment is a special procedure for treating teeth with infection in the root or soft inner pulp layer. During your procedure, one of our skilled dentists removes the tooth’s infected nerve and fills it with a safe, biocompatible material before placing a protective crown. Some cases require a referral to a root canal specialist, an endodontist. Our team will assess each tooth and make the recommendation that will yield the best result for you. Are you concerned that you might have an infected tooth? Come in for an exam and consultation!
Perhaps you fear urgent dental care is too pricey. After all, its procedures are more specialized and demand great expertise. It’s thus natural to assume that it demands a high price. In truth, though, the cost of emergency dentistry varies by patient. You’ll need to consult our dentists for a precise treatment estimate. That said, our office will walk you through the financial details. In particular, our team will explain how insurance and other options make emergency care affordable. You’d then be able to help your teeth and gums in a budget-friendly way. To learn the details, just keep reading or call our office.
In itself, an emergency dental visit is pretty inexpensive. Its cost only covers the oral exam and related treatment suggestions. That said, the bulk of urgent care’s cost stems from later procedures. Therefore, you’ll need to consult us before we can give you an estimate.
Based on the situation, we’ll recommend one (or more) of our emergency services. This service lineup – its number, type, etc. – will impact the final cost. So, here are the treatments to choose from:
Root Canal Treatment
Periodontal Treatment
Tooth Extraction(s)
Dental Crown(s)
TMD Therapy
Rest assured: The consultation visit will review our findings, the recommended treatment plan, and the estimated costs beforehand. That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Put simply, yes – dental insurance does typically cover dental emergencies. One yearly emergency exam is often covered in most policies. At the same time, the most common urgent care services tend to receive partial coverage from 50-80%.
Keep in mind, though, that every plan is different. Your insurance may have different rules or features. Yearly maximums also play a role. Therefore, confirm your benefits before pursuing treatment. Our team can even help you do so.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Don’t panic if you don’t have access to insurance. As it happens, other ways exist to make emergency dentistry affordable. Many dental practices, in fact, offer payment options that make costs more manageable. Our own Dix Hills Family Dentistry has the following:
In-Office Dental Plan – By paying a yearly flat fee, our office will charge you a reduced emergency care price.
Taking Care of Your Smile Saves You Money
Granted, some dental emergencies are unavoidable accidents. Most, though, stem from unchecked infections, oral accidents, and more. As a result, investing in good oral care now – whether at home or with the dentist – will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
Of course, speedy emergency care is also less costly than delaying treatment. An oral problem left unchecked will worsen, requiring more involved care. For instance, a root canal now will save your tooth and avoid extraction or restoration work later.
In the end, Dix Hills Family Dentistry will help you manage emergency dentistry costs. So, consider booking a visit to our office at once!
