Emergency Dentist — Fayetteville, NY

Every Dental Emergency Is Different

Did you chip a tooth, or is it severely broken? Is your toothache caused by a cavity, or is it due to a dental infection? Every dental emergency is different. The specifics of your emergency will determine which type of treatment or treatments are needed to get your oral health back on track and repair your teeth. Sometimes this could be a simple filling or antibiotics, other times services like a root canal or tooth extraction may be necessary. When you come in to see us for your emergency appointment, we’ll be able to fully explain all the treatments we recommend and their associated costs so you can make a well-informed decision about your care.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

While every dental insurance plan is somewhat different, most companies offer some type of coverage for emergency dental treatment. Many times, at least one emergency visit a year is covered. Additionally, the most common services used to treat dental emergencies like crowns, root canal therapy, and extractions can receive anywhere from 50-80% coverage.

It’s also important to remember that your dental insurance can help you prevent a dental emergency from occurring in the first place. Nearly every policy covers preventive care at 80-100%, and oftentimes will cover the cost of two routine checkups and cleanings a year. These simple preventive measures can go a tremendously long way in deterring painful and expensive emergencies in the future.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

We’re proud to be an insurance-friendly office to help lower your out-of-pocket expenses. However, if you don’t have dental insurance or aren’t satisfied with your coverage, we also have these financial options to help lower the cost of your care:

• CareCredit Financing: CareCredit is a third-party company that can offer qualifying patients low- to no-interest payment plans for their treatments. With CareCredit financing, you can get the treatment you need right away and then pay for it in smaller installments over the coming months.
• Our In-House Membership Plan: We’re pleased to also offer our own membership plan, which works like dental insurance but without all the confusing limitations and frustrating restrictions. You’ll receive 2 dental cleanings, 2 periodic exams, and 1 set of bitewing X-rays every year, plus discounts on practically all our other services!

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

When it comes to dental care, an ounce of prevention is certainly worth a pound of cure! Simple healthy habits, good dental practices, and biannual checkups will all go a long way in keeping your smile strong, healthy, and sparkling. In fact, surveys indicate that for every dollar spent on preventive care, up to $50 is saved in restorative services and emergency dental care!

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent dental emergencies of all types is to see us twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings. We’ll discuss your lifestyle, habits, and medical history to ensure you’re getting personalized preventive care for any problems you may be at a higher risk for, such as sports injuries, oral cancer, or gum disease. Plus, our thorough examinations will be able to detect issues that you may not be able to see or feel yet, so we can treat them well before they turn into a dental emergency.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits at Home

Between your regular checkups, you should be practicing great dental hygiene habits at home. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes at a time twice a day, using a soft bristled toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. You should also floss at least once each day, taking special care to remove plaque from both sides of each tooth all the way to the gum line. These easy daily habits dramatically lower your risk of weakened enamel, infections, and painful cavities.

Be Careful With Your Diet

You already know that eating too many sugary sweets can lead to getting cavities. However, did you know that untreated cavities can lead to serious tooth infections? Additionally, it’s easy to forget that carbs and diet soda cause cavities just as quickly as sugar. Instead of over-indulging on sweets, consider adding more foods with calcium and vitamin C to your diet. These nutrients will help strengthen your teeth and keep your gums healthy!

Protect Your Pearly Whites

Do you play sports? Do you grind your teeth at night? Then you should invest in a custom mouthguard. While there are over-the-counter options available for purchase at sporting good stores and pharmacies, our mouthguards are higher quality and far more personalized, ensuring maximum comfort and protection. If you want to protect your smile from worn-down enamel and broken teeth, talk to us today about getting a custom-made mouthguard.

Use Tools, Not Teeth to Open Packaging

Did you know that your tooth enamel is harder than your bones? Unfortunately, it’s far from indestructible. In fact, every time your teeth come in contact with non-edible objects, they’re likely to wear down. Using your teeth as tools to open packages, hold your keys, rip off price tags, or trim your fingernails puts you at a significantly higher risk of a chipped or cracked tooth. Keep the right tools somewhere within reach to protect your smile from unnecessary wear and tear!

Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?

Typically, your local ER won’t have any licensed dental professionals on staff, rendering them unable to treat the root cause of the problem. If you were to visit them for a dental emergency, you might end up wasting precious time in a waiting room only to be prescribed painkillers and referred to a dentist anyway. That’s why it’s better to call an emergency dentist in Fayetteville first thing. Our practice will get you in for an appointment quickly (we even accept walk-ins!), and our dentists will promptly target and treat the source of the issue.  

The only exception to this rule is if you need immediate medical attention before any specific dental problems can be addressed. For example, if an accident has left you with a broken or dislocated jaw or deep lacerations on your face, definitely head to the ER to have those concerns treated first. The same principle applies if you swelling from an have an oral infection that hinders your ability to breathe or swallow. After you’ve received the urgent medical care you need, you can call our practice and have us identify whether you need additional dental treatment.

Will My Toothache Go Away on Its Own?

Unlike most other parts of the body, teeth that are infected or damaged cannot heal themselves. For this reason, a toothache is unlikely to go away on its own. The pain might actually worsen the longer you go without treatment, and you may end up needing more expensive procedures after enough time has passed. If you wait too long, that tooth might even have to be removed!

Just to be on the safe side, please call us if you experience unexplained or prolonged tooth pain. We’ll pinpoint the cause and treat it as conservatively as possible.

How Should I Sleep with Tooth Pain?

Few things are as frustrating as being unable to fall asleep because of a raging toothache. On the bright side, there are some things you can do to minimize the pain and get some rest before calling our office first thing in the morning.

For one, remember to keep your head elevated when lying down. Otherwise, blood may rush to your head and exacerbate the pain. You could also apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek in ten-minute intervals; it should keep your mouth numb for long enough to get some shuteye. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen can also help.

Are Toothpicks Safe to Use?

If you have a piece of food stuck in your teeth, you might instinctively reach for a toothpick. However, despite their name, toothpicks can actually do more harm than good in terms of your oral health. For instance, they might end up pushing the trapped object even further down between your teeth – the opposite of the effect you wanted! Worse, wooden toothpicks can break off inside of your mouth, or you might accidentally scratch your teeth or gums.

The safer way to dislodge an object stuck in your teeth is to rinse with saltwater and floss the area. If that doesn’t work, call our office right away.