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 a 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. With our trained and experienced emergency dentist in Leesburg, VA, we can accurately diagnose the condition and treat immediately if necessary to provide complete relief.
A dental emergency is any situation that causes severe 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 us help! We can tell you whether your situation needs immediate attention and get you on our schedule as soon as possible.
Regardless of the situation, your first move should involve calling our Leesburg dental office. Not only can we fit you into our schedule, but we can also provide advice for dealing with your emergency until you come in to see us. Below are some of the most common dental emergencies and general tips that can improve the odds of successful treatment:
Severe tooth pain is often an indication of an infection deep inside the tooth. In this case, take an OTC medication and apply a cold compress to the face for temporary relief.
A loosened tooth that is still attached to nerve and blood tissue can likely be saved. Call our dental office right away. In the meantime, a cold compress and acetaminophen or ibuprofen can alleviate discomfort. Similarly, a broken tooth may be salvageable if you have the fragments. Rinse your mouth carefully and store the fragments in a container to bring with you to your appointment.
Rinse the tooth with water, taking care to touch only the crown and not the root where live tissue may still be attached. Put the tooth back into the socket if possible or tuck it in your cheek. Otherwise, store the tooth in a sealed container filled with milk and head immediately to our dental office.
A lost filling or crown can expose delicate tooth structure, which may be sensitive. To hold the filling or crown in place until you come into our dental office, use a dab of toothpaste, denture adhesive, or petroleum jelly.
Did you know that many dental emergencies are preventable? By following these simple steps, you can avoid damage to your smile:
Every dental emergency is as unique as the smile it affects. While one patient may only need a prescription for antibiotics, another may require a root canal or even an extraction and tooth replacement. When you come into our dental office, we’ll explain the problem, discuss possible treatment options, and go over the costs associated with each one. If necessary, we can help you apply for low-interest financing to make treatment more affordable.
At Downtown Family Dental of Leesburg, we know the thought of needing to visit a dentist due to a dental emergency can be scary. For this reason, we strive to provide our patients with helpful, easy-to-understand information about dental emergencies and how to respond to them. Below are some of the most common questions – and answers – about emergency dentistry. If you have any additional questions after reading this FAQ section, please do not hesitate to give our team a call!
While the local emergency room is the right place to go to treat a wide range of injuries and other serious health complications, it is often not the best place to turn to during a dental emergency.
Why not? Simply put, dental trauma is a specific kind of trauma. Many local ERs are not equipped with the right tools or specialized knowledge to respond to injuries involving a person’s teeth.
For this reason, we encourage you to first call an emergency dentist in Leesburg if you injure your mouth. An experienced dentist will be able to advise you, after hearing what has happened, whether you need immediate dental care or if you should instead seek medical attention.
Although it should not be substituted for emergency dental care, over-the-counter pain medication can help temporarily alleviate facial pain.
If possible, choose acetaminophen. Other popular painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen are anticoagulants and may prolong any bleeding.
Remember, taking over-the-counter pain medication is just a first step to provide some short-term relief. Your next step should be to visiting an emergency dentist in Leesburg as soon as possible.
Cuts to the tissues near teeth – such as the lips, tongue, gums and inner cheeks – often cause a significant amount of bleeding. While this can make the injury seem quite serious, the laceration may in fact by fairly small.
If you suffer a nasty cut inside your mouth, first clean the affected area with warm water and then call an emergency dentist near you. Your dentist will advise you on whether you should visit his or her office, the emergency room or take additional steps at home.
Teeth that have been knocked loose can sometimes be reattached, especially if kept moist. That is why we recommend, as stated above, that you place a loose tooth in a secure container filled with milk before seeking out an emergency dentist. Not only does the milk keep the tooth moist, but the proteins in milk prevent the cells of the tooth roots from swelling or becoming further damaged.
Preparing a small first aid kit specifically designed for dental emergencies can help you quickly reduce pain if you are injured and plan how to reach an emergency dentist in Leesburg. You can keep your dental emergency first aid kit in the car, at the office, or even in your purse for when you are on the go.
A standard dental emergency first aid kit should include: