Call the Emergency Dentist in Leesburg When You Are in Pain
An injury to your gums or teeth can be severely painful. Other times, you may be in pain and not even know why. For example, if a piece of food comes in contact with a decayed area of the tooth, the pain can be sudden and significant. Similarly, a beverage that is extremely hot or icy cold can trigger the nerve, causing equally traumatic pain. In any case, you have a dental emergency on your hands and you need help. As a trained and experienced emergency dentist, I can accurately diagnose the condition and treat immediately if necessary to relieve your pain.
When you have a dental emergency, I will see you as soon as possible to address the problem. If treatment is required after-hours, my answering machine will provide you with a phone number to contact me directly. Please do not hesitate to call anytime day or night. Nothing is more important to me than your health and safety.
What Constitutes a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency is any situation that causes pain or discomfort, involves swelling or bleeding or otherwise compromises your oral health. Sometimes, you may not be able to judge whether or not you are dealing with a genuine dental emergency. In that case, please let me be the judge. I would much rather see you and discover that you’re fine than miss a serious problem because you decided to wait.
What Should You Do in Case of an Emergency?
The first step is to call my office at 703-777-5600. A member of my staff will be able to schedule a same-day appointment if necessary or offer specific instructions.
What are Some Examples of Dental Emergencies?
Over the years, I’ve seen a variety of urgent cases. The most obvious, of course, is a knocked out or avulsed tooth. In this case, the sooner I see you, the better. Bring the tooth with you and I may be able to reattach it if you are at the office within about 30 minutes of your accident.
In the meantime, here are steps to follow to preserve a knocked out tooth:
- Rinse the tooth in clear water, taking care to touch only the crown and not the root where live tissue may still be attached.
- Put the tooth back in the socket if possible, or tuck it in your cheek.
- If neither action is possible, then store the tooth in a sealed container filled with milk and head immediately to our office.
A loosened tooth that is still attached to nerve and blood tissue can likely be saved. Call my office right away to schedule an appointment with me. In the meantime, a cold compress and acetaminophen or ibuprofen can alleviate discomfort. Similarly, a broken tooth may be salvageable if you have the fragment. Rinse carefully and store the fragment in a safe place.
A lost filling or crown can expose the remaining tooth structure, which may be sensitive. If you need to try to control pain, use dab of toothpaste, denture adhesive or petroleum jelly to hold the filling or crown in place until I can see you.
A toothache is also a common dental emergency. Severe tooth pain is often an indication of infection deep inside the tooth. In this case, I may need to perform a root canal in order to remove infected tissue and preserve the tooth.