Emergency Dentist — Forest, VA
Fast, Pain-Relieving Dentistry You Can Count On
Dental emergencies can happen for any number of reasons, but do you know what they all have in common? Absolutely none of them are ever planned! While no one can anticipate a knocked-out tooth or broken crown ruining their day, they can rest assured that they have an emergency dentist in Forest at the ready should they ever need one. Our team has years of experience handling everything from the simplest to the most severe dental emergency. No matter the situation, the goal remains the same: to see a patient as quickly as possible and get them out of pain. When you need dental care fast, just give us a call, and we’ll work with our schedule and yours to make sure you can get the attention you need right when you need it.
Why Choose Crossroads Family Dentistry for Emergency Dental Care?
- Same-Day Appointments Available
- Insurance-Friendly Practice & Flexible Financing Available
- Advanced Dental Technology
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
- Contact our office. Time is of the essence in any emergency situation, so you need to give us a call right away. Our team will work quickly to restore your oral health. An experienced team member will provide first-aid instructions to help you manage your situation in the meantime.
- Have an emergency exam. When you get to our office, we’ll conduct a detailed oral examination to identify the root of your problem. Based on our findings, we’ll create a custom treatment plan to get your smile back on the right track.
- Get the care you need. We might be able to temporarily address your emergency during your appointment. However, you may have to return for additional treatment. Some common services include fillings, dental crowns, root canal therapy, and gum disease treatment.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
It can be hard to think clearly when you’re in shock or pain because of a dental emergency in Forest. That’s why we always suggest calling our team as soon as you find yourself in a time-sensitive dental situation. We provide over-the-phone first-aid guidance and will do everything in our power to fit you into our schedule as soon as possible. Below, we’ve outlined some basic steps to help you handle common dental emergencies while you get ready to come to our office.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
To provide you with the cost of your emergency treatment, we must first conduct an examination to find out the root cause of your discomfort. From there, we can create a customized plan, review the financial solutions available to you, and answer any questions you have about the cost of your care. Of course, if you’re interested in learning more about the factors that impact the price and how to make your treatment more affordable, you can also read on to learn more general information.
Remember, Every Dental Emergency is Different
From patient to patient, symptoms, severity, and the root of the problem can all vary. That’s why there isn’t a flat fee for dental emergencies; each treatment plan is 100% customized to the patient’s unique dental needs. If you’re struggling with sensitivity from a large cavity, then a dental crown may be the ideal solution. If, on the other hand, the cavity is so large that saving the tooth is no longer feasible, then we may need to extract it instead. As always, our Forest emergency dentist will share all of their findings with you and answer any questions you have before getting to work on restoring your smile.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
That depends on the fine print on your treatment plan! For some patients, their dental insurance provider covers one emergency dental exam annually. For others, their benefits cover 50% of the cost of major restorative care and 80% of minor restorative care, which can both be helpful in dental emergencies. To make the process of utilizing your benefits significantly more seamless, we can handle the claims for you and provide you with estimates of your out-of-pocket expenses (if there are any).
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Of course, dental insurance isn’t the only financial solution available to you at Crossroads Family Dentistry. Our emergency dental office in Forest offers an in-house savings plan, so you won’t have to stress about the financial impact of your treatment. Plus, we happily accept CareCredit (a trusted third-party financier), so you can choose a payment plan that fits easily into your monthly budget.
Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
When discussing the cost of emergency dentistry, it’s important to note that tooth decay, gum disease, and other serious oral health issues cannot heal on their own. So, postponing your treatment or forgoing it entirely won’t save you any money. On the contrary, it will result in more costly care down the line. So, make sure to implement a solid oral hygiene routine, avoid smoking and other unhealthy dental habits, visit us every six months for a checkup and cleaning, and schedule an appointment sooner if you’re experiencing any abnormal symptoms, like a toothache.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Although there’s no way to completely avoid dental emergencies, there are some steps you can take to help reduce your risk of experiencing one. Some of these include:
Visit Our Office For Semi-Annual Checkups And Cleanings
No matter your age or your dental history, you should come to our office periodically for a dental checkup. That way, we can catch (and treat) damaged restorations, gum disease, and other oral health problems before they cause you pain and warrant same-day care.
It’s also important to mention here that your biannual teeth cleanings are equally as important since they ensure plaque and tartar are removed before decay or an infection develops. Simply put, your semi-annual visits play an important role in preventing dental emergencies.
Keep Up With Your At-Home Oral Hygiene
Of course, you also need to take good care of your teeth on a daily basis to prevent cavities, gum disease, and the like from developing. That starts with the basics, like brushing twice a day for a full two minutes. Additionally, you should floss consistently and rinse with antimicrobial mouthwash to prevent plaque and tartar buildup.
Note: If you aren’t sure which oral hygiene products to use or what the proper flossing technique is, don’t hesitate to ask! We’re here to help you keep your teeth and gums happy and healthy between visits too!
Avoid Eating Sticky, Hard, And Sugary Foods
Caramel candies, lollipops, and hard pretzels are just a few examples of foods that can wreak havoc on your oral health. That’s why we encourage our patients to keep their consumption of sugary, sticky, and crunchy treats to a minimum. Instead, find well-balanced meals you genuinely enjoy and are filled with smile-friendly foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables. That way, your smile is healthy from the inside out!
Be Mindful of Bad Oral Habits
Over the years, you may have picked up an unhealthy habit or two, like chewing on the back of your pen while you work or smoking when you’re stressed. Another example is clenching your teeth when you’re stressed or while you sleep at night, which is dangerous because you may not even be aware that you’re doing it. Since habits like these can lead to cracks, chips, fractures, and other dental damage, we strongly recommend doing your best to quit, and reaching out if you need help.
Wear A Mouthguard During Sports
Sports-related injuries are common, especially for those who don’t wear the necessary protective gear. That’s why we strongly recommend wearing a mouthguard, even if you participate in a non-contact sport, like skateboarding.
Tip: If you don’t have a mouthguard (or you’re using one from your local sporting goods store), then give us a call! We can have a custom one made for you so your teeth and gums are properly protected.
Tooth Extractions
While our primary goal is to help our patients keep their natural teeth for as long as possible, sometimes, the best thing we can possibly do is remove one to protect their oral and overall health. A patient may need an extraction if:
- A tooth is too damaged to be restored
- Gum disease has weakened the bone supporting a tooth
- Room needs to be created for a denture/orthodontic treatment
- A baby tooth refuses to fall out/is blocking an erupting adult tooth
Learn More About Tooth Extractions
Root Canals
Before you quickly scroll past this, just know that at Crossroads Family Dentistry, ROOT CANALS ARE A VIRTUALLY PAINLESS PROCEDURE! Do we have your attention? Great! With this treatment, we can fully restore a tooth that has developed a painful infection deep within its innermost layers and save it from extraction. We first remove the bad tissue from inside the tooth and then seal the tooth with a natural rubber-like material to keep bacteria from recolonizing inside. Thanks to modern dental techniques and technologies, this often feared procedure is now no more “excruciating” than getting a small filling.
Learn More About Root Canal Therapy
Dental Emergency FAQs
It goes without saying that a dental emergency in Forest can be stressful and confusing, especially if it’s your first time experiencing a situation like this. First things first, try to remain calm as you call our office. Our team will take it from there! We’ll do our utmost to schedule an appointment for you right away, but in the meantime, you may want to read through the answers to some of the emergency dentistry-related questions that we get asked the most often.
Are Toothpicks Safe to Use?
Contrary to what their name might suggest, most dentists would NOT recommend using toothpicks, especially if they’re made from wood. Not only is it all too easy to accidentally scratch your teeth and gum tissue with a toothpick, but wooden toothpicks could actually splinter and break off inside of your mouth. They could even end up pushing food debris even further down between the teeth or under the gums, which is the opposite of the intended effect. Worst of all, there’s a chance you could swallow a toothpick, which can be fatal.
In short, don’t use a toothpick except as a last resort. Our team can provide you with other tips over the phone to manage your symptoms until we can treat you with more professional, safer methods at our office.
Will My Toothache Go Away on Its Own?
Generally, toothaches do NOT go away on their own. Unlike most other parts of the body, teeth cannot usually heal themselves when they’ve become damaged or infected. This means that without treatment, your toothache will likely worsen to the point where you might need more expensive procedures than you would have by visiting us as soon as you noticed tooth pain.
How Should I Sleep with Tooth Pain?
If your toothache has become so excruciating that it prevents you from getting to sleep, that’s a sure sign that you should call us first thing in the morning. Until then, though, here are some tips for helping you sleep through a toothache at night:
- Keep your head elevated with pillows to prevent blood from rushing to your head and worsening your tooth pain.
- Avoid foods and drinks that are hot, cold, or acidic for a few hours before bed.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers as instructed on the label.
- Apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek for 10 minutes, then wait 10 minutes before applying it again. Repeat this process for up to one hour.
Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?
It seems logical to visit the emergency room for a dental emergency, right? Unfortunately, most ER doctors are not licensed to practice dentistry, so they can’t address specific dental problems. At best, they can prescribe pain medication or antibiotics, but they’ll often recommend that you see an emergency dentist in Forest anyway. To get the smile-saving care you need much more quickly, just call our office right away instead.
That being said, there are a few circumstances in which you’ll need to visit an ER for urgent treatment before we can begin focusing on oral health concerns. These include:
- A fractured or dislocated jaw.
- Severe, deep cuts to the face or mouth.
- Swelling that affects your ability to breathe or swallow.
For virtually all other dental problems, your best bet is to contact us as soon as you can.
More to Explore
Preventive Dentistry Restorative Dentistry Cosmetic Dentistry Dental Implants View Our Services