Emergency Dentistry – St. Albans, VT
The Care You Need without the Wait
In the case of a dental emergency, time is always of the essence. An hour or two could mean the difference between keeping or losing a tooth, which is why at St. Albans Dental, we always move our schedule around to see emergency patients as quickly as we can. If you or a loved one is dealing with a terrible toothache or has just sustained a dental injury, give us a call, and we’ll work to schedule an appointment and provide the relief you need as soon as possible with emergency dentistry in St. Albans.
Why Choose St. Albans Dental for Emergency Dentistry?
- Emergency Patients Seen Promptly
- Highly Experienced Dentists
- We’ll Take Your Dental Insurance
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
Ideally, any dental emergency should only be handled by professionals, so be sure to give our dental office a call if someone is experiencing extreme dental pain. However, if you’re unable to reach us immediately, there are a few things you can do to help with pain and increase the chances we’ll be able to save a tooth. Depending on your situation, be sure to:
Toothaches
Thoroughly rinse and floss around the tooth first to remove any food debris that might be stuck and causing the problem. Then, take an OTC medication and/or apply a cold compress to the face. In many cases, the fastest way to stop a toothache and save the tooth from extraction is with a root canal.
Chipped/Broken Tooth
Try to recover as many pieces of the tooth that you can, put them in a safe container, and remember to bring them to our dental office. A cold compress can help manage any pain or swelling. Our team is usually able to repair even the most damaged teeth, but if the tooth is too far gone, we may have to perform an extraction instead.
Knocked-Out Tooth
Find the tooth, rinse off any debris while NOT touching the root, and be sure to keep it wet until we can see you. This will keep the tooth alive so it can be successfully replanted. You can do this by putting it back into its socket, holding it between the cheeks and gums, or storing it in a container with milk or saltwater.
Lost Filling/Crown
While a loose or dislodged dental restoration might not seem like a big deal, it’s still important to have it repaired ASAP before the exposed tooth develops any decay or damage. Until we’re able to see you, place the restoration back onto the tooth, and avoid chewing with it.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Fortunately, you can avoid the vast majority of dental emergencies just by:
- Wearing a mouthguard every time you play sports.
- Not chewing on extremely hard items like ice, popcorn kernels, pens, pencils, fingernails, etc.
- Not using your teeth to open packages.
- Brushing and flossing every day as well as getting regular dental checkups. This will stop most small issues early before they can develop into big emergencies later.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
Once we’ve carefully examined your mouth, determined the root of the problem, and have come up with a potential treatment plan, we can start discussing the cost of your treatment. We’ll never push you towards unnecessary services that you’re uncomfortable with; our goal is to stop your pain while making sure that you’re confident that you understand what we’re recommending and why.
Each Emergency is Different
The emergency visit itself has its own cost, and its relatively inexpensive; it’s mainly meant to assess the damage and figure out what kind of treatment you’ll need. As for the ultimate cost of emergency care, we can’t give you a generalized estimate before we’ve examined you. There are so many different kinds of dental emergencies and no one single treatment that can address all of them. As such, your treatment plan may be as simple as having a crown or a filling placed, or it may involve a tooth extraction. While we’re explaining our findings, we’ll make sure you understand the costs involved so that there are no unwelcome surprises moving forward.
Saving Money by Being Proactive About Dental Care
Avoiding dental emergencies altogether is the best way to keep the costs of emergency care down. Of course, you can’t guarantee that an accident won’t occur, but you can take simple steps like brushing and flossing on a daily basis to protect yourself from tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health problems that could potentially cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the long term.
When a real dental problem does occur, call our office right away. Ignoring a toothache, a fractured tooth, or other oral health issues is never the right answer. The problem will only grow worse and worse as time goes on, and the cost of treating it will grow the more severe it becomes. Root canal therapy can save an infected tooth, but if it’s not performed in time, we might have no choice but to remove it and replace it. Maintain your health and your bank account by taking the initiative when something goes wrong.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Most dental plans include coverage for one emergency examination per year. As for the treatment, the benefits you receive can vary from plan to plan. You can expect the most common emergency services associated with hurting or damaged teeth (such as crowns and root canals) to be covered by your dental plan, but you should still call your insurance company first to confirm. Our team can go over your benefits with you and help you figure out the best way to maximize them.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you don’t have insurance, you might want to apply for CareCredit financing. You select a payment plan that divides the cost into a series of installments, and little to no interest is involved. This can take a lot of the financial stress off of your emergency care.
Emergency Dentistry FAQs
Are you still unsure of what to do in case a dental emergency in St. Albans occurs? When you contact our office, our team will walk you through first-aid steps and make sure that you get the necessary dental treatment as soon as possible. For your convenience, we’ve also answered some common questions we receive from our patients below.
Should I visit the ER or the emergency dentist?
Making the decision of whether to go to your ER or emergency dentist in the midst of a crisis can seem impossible, especially if this is your first time dealing with one. Although the ER may seem like the best choice initially, that’s not always the case unless you’re handling an issue that’s life threatening, like a fractured or broken jaw, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or a deep facial laceration that requires stitches. Otherwise, your emergency dentist in St. Albans is definitely your best bet. They can provide you with specialized care that prevents the issue from reoccurring. Plus, you’ll be less likely to be in a waiting room with people who are sick!
Will my toothache go away on its own?
As much as you may be wishing that your toothache or oral pain will disappear by itself, that’s often not the case. In fact, the longer you wait to get oral health emergencies treated, oftentimes, the worse they become. That’s why we recommend contacting our office as soon as possible so we can offer you over-the-phone guidance and pain-relieving tips. We’ll schedule an appointment for you as soon as possible to examine your mouth and diagnose and treat the situation so you won’t have to spend your entire day worrying.
How can I tell if my situation requires urgent dental attention?
The best way to tell if your oral health problem requires urgent attention from a dentist is if it’s causing you pain or discomfort. Oftentimes, this is your body letting you know that something serious is wrong, and it needs to be addressed immediately. You can also contact our office and let us know your symptoms, and we’ll let you know if it requires immediate care. Some of the most common dental emergencies we deal with are:
- Jaw pain
- Knocked-out teeth
- Broken or damaged restorations
- Chipped teeth
- Swollen and inflamed gums
How can I get rid of facial swelling?
If your face is swelling, it’s likely the result of dental trauma or a severe tooth infection. You can bring the swelling down by placing a cold compress on the area for 10 minutes, and then letting the area rest without the compress for 10 minutes, alternating these steps for up to an hour. If you’re in pain, you can also take over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen.