Emergency Dentist – Vienna, VA

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Patients are often quick to dismiss toothaches, but your pain receptors are there for a reason: to let you know that something is wrong. So, don’t take the “wait and see” approach, especially if your discomfort is getting worse with time.

How You Should Handle a Toothache For long-term relief, you need to visit us for the necessary restorative care, which is why scheduling an appointment is at the top of this list. Additionally, you should rinse with warm saltwater periodically, avoid sugary, spicy, and acidic foods, and take OTC pain medication (following the directions on the label, of course).

How We Treat Toothaches Since there’s more than one way to fix a hurting tooth, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. With that said, tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, and root canal treatment are three common ways to address decay, cracks, and other damage.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? It is in the sense that it always warrants a visit to our office for an exam. However, same-day appointments aren’t always necessary. It really depends on your unique situation, including if you’re in pain.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth After calling us to schedule an appointment, turn your attention to your tooth. We recommend rinsing with clean, room-temperature water before putting a piece of sugar-free gum over your tooth to help prevent a soft tissue injury.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Our recommendation will depend entirely on what we find during your exam, including how large the chip is. With that said, veneers are a popular choice because they are completely customizable, and they can fix both small and large chips relatively quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VENEERS

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes. In fact, if you can visibly see the crack, an infection can develop quite quickly. So, it’s important that you call us to schedule an emergency exam ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth To start, don’t chew on that side of your mouth and avoid touching your tooth. If you can, rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically, stick to soft foods, and take OTC pain medication as directed too.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Our goal is always to save your natural teeth, so we will first see if we can do so with a dental crown. If our only option is to remove it, then we will restore the look, health, and function of your smile with a dental bridge or implant.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? There are many potential causes for the discomfort you’re in, and some are more urgent than others. It’s often due to thinning enamel, which can be caused by brushing too aggressively, eating overly acidic foods, or teeth grinding. Other more serious reasons for it can include a cracked or decayed tooth, an abscess, or gum recession resulting from periodontitis.

How you should handle sensitive teeth: First, call us and let us know what you’re experiencing. We can walk you through any necessary care steps over the phone that you may need to follow until your appointment. Then, we’ll schedule an appropriate time for you to come in based on the urgency of your unique situation.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: First, our team will examine your mouth to identify the underlying cause so that we can address it. Thinning enamel can be treated with desensitizing toothpaste or a topical fluoride treatment. Gum disease may require antibiotics and root scaling and planing. Cavities will need to be filled or addressed with an emergency root canal.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes, if a tooth has been knocked out, you should contact us to schedule a same-day appointment. Depending on the extent of the harm done, there’s a chance that we can save your tooth. If you act quickly enough, it may still be viable and can be put back into its socket.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: First, try to find the tooth. It may still be in your mouth, so be careful not to swallow it. Gently rinse it and place it in a container with milk or some of your saliva to preserve it until you arrive for your appointment. Remember, only touch it by the crown and not the roots or you may damage the cells.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If you reach us in time and the tooth is still whole, we might be able to reimplant it so that it can reintegrate with your jawbone. Otherwise, we’ll go over the various options for replacements like dental implants, bridges, or dentures.

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Restorations like fillings and dental crowns tend to wear down over the years and may eventually need to be replaced. If yours has become dislodged, it may not necessarily be an emergency, but you should contact us as soon as possible. The underlying tooth is left exposed and vulnerable to infection until it’s treated by a professional.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: Try to locate the restoration to the best of your ability. If it’s still in your mouth, try to avoid swallowing it. If you lost a dental crown, you might be able to temporarily anchor it back in its place with dental cement or a dab of toothpaste, but we don’t generally recommend this for dislodged fillings.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: If the restoration is newer and isn’t overly damaged, we might be able to recement it. If it’s broken or was completely lost, we’ll help you replace it instead.

Broken Denture

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? If your denture is cracked, scratched, or broken, wearing it could lead to other dental health concerns, like thrush. Because of this, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with our team right away to repair or replace your prosthetic.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture: While it may be tempting to try to repair your broken dentures in Vienna yourself, this will likely lead to even more complications. Because of this, we recommend getting in touch with our team immediately so we can fit you in for a same-day appointment.

How We Treat Broken Dentures: Depending on the extent of the damage to your dentures, we will either repair or replace them. If you were thinking about upgrading to implant dentures, we can also discuss this option with you.

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? If your tooth is able to wiggle in its socket, whether that’s due to dental damage or other underlying concerns, you should be seen as soon as possible to prevent additional issues from arising. This is still the case, even if there is no pain that accompanies your loose tooth in Vienna.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth: After calling our office, try avoid touching your tooth or eating with the side of your mouth where your loose tooth is located. Gently rinse with salt water to clean around the tooth, but don’t brush or floss until you get to our office.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: In some cases, we may be able to salvage the permanent tooth by splinting it to another tooth so it can reintegrate with the bone. However, in others, a tooth extraction and replacement may be necessary.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Dental Implants

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Although injuries to the lips, gums, and tongue may bleed a lot and look alarming, they typically don’t require emergency dental care. If you’re concerned about the severity of the situation, you can always call our team for guidance.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: Gently place firm pressure on the wound using a piece of clean gauze. You can also rinse with salt water to clear away any debris. If swelling is present, you can place a cold compress on the area for 10 minutes at a time.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: In some cases, we may be able to stitch the wound close, but in most situations, it will resolve on its own. If you aren’t able to stop the bleeding after placing pressure on the area for 10 minutes, you should visit your nearest emergency room.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Jaw pain typically doesn’t require a same-day appointment unless the discomfort is unbearable. If this is the case, call our office immediately.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain: Jaw pain often arises as a result of underlying concerns like teeth grinding or bite misalignment. You can place a cold compress on the painful area to relieve swelling or discomfort. If your jaw is broken or dislocated, go the nearest emergency room immediately.

How We Treat Jaw Pain: If your pain is caused by bruxism, or nightly teeth grinding, our team can craft a customized nightguard to prevent your teeth from grinding against each other as you sleep. This will minimize muscle tension, help with headaches, and address jaw clicking, popping, and pain due to strain caused by grinding.

Learn More About Nightguards

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

If something is stuck between your teeth, gently use a piece of dental floss to clean around the tooth and dislodge the debris. Never use a toothpick or anything sharp to do this, as it could cause damage to your gums. If you aren’t able to remove the stuck debris, call our office.