What can you do if suddenly you or your child experience a serious dental emergency? Locating an emergency dentist closeby that provides Emergency dental care can be difficult and stressful when you’re in pain.
At Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, our dental office provides Emergency Dental Care for children and adults experiencing a sudden dental emergency. Our office is conveniently located in Woodbridge.
Our dental office in Woodbridge primarily offers pediatric dental services but we also provide adult dental care too. Since our Woodbridge dental office chiefly specializes on Pediatric Dental care, we’re able to treat both you or your child in the event of a dental emergency.
Woodbridge Emergency Dentist Office
Most Americans will experience some sort of dental emergency at least once or twice during their lifetime. Almost 100 million school & work hours are lost each year due to a sudden dental emergency, according to the Centers for Disease Control. There’s absolutely no way to predict when you’ll suddenly be faced with a serious dental emergency. It is however, comforting to know that in the event a dental emergency should occur, there is a dentist near you in Woodbridge that offers emergency dental care.
If you or your child are experiencing a dental trauma or injury or are in excrutiating pain and our office is closed, we’d advise you to immediately go to your local hospital emergency room as soon as you can. It’s advised that for less serious dental issues such as a chipped tooth, cavity, or a knocked out tooth, that you see a local a dentist. Trips to the Emergency room should be reserved for true life threatening emergencies. For a minor toothache you should see your regular dentist.
What Type of Dental Emergencies Should I Go To The Emergency Room For?
Your local hospital’s Emergency Room is the place to seek critical care. For a normal run of the mill toothache, they will send you home and tell you to take over the counter pain relief medication until you can see a dentist. In the event you suffer a traumatic injury to your teeth or jaw, the ER will treat you. The Emergency Room treats life threatening dental emergencies or provides pain medication when the pain due to an infection or injury may be so severe that immediately relief is required.
Which Dental Emergencies Do ER’s Treat?
- Dental abscesses & oral infections
- Fractured teeth or traumatic injury to a tooth
- Painful swelling in the jawline (this can sometimes be a symptom of Ludwig’s Angina)
The following list are some less critical dental issues that are not considered life threatening but are still considered urgent dental issue that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. If you are your child are experiencing any of the following dental issues, a trip to the emergency room isn’t recommended. Please try to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience and we’ll address any of the following issues:
- Minor / medium toothache or mild pain in a tooth (Less than a 7 on scale of 1-10)
- Sensitivity in your teeth due to hot and cold food or beverages
- A broken denture or dental appliance
- Decayed teeth or cavities
- Bleeding gums (this can normally be stopped within minutes by applying direct pressure)
What Do I Do If My Child Has A Dental Emergency?
If your child sustains an injury to their teeth while playing, or suddenly complains of a bad toothache in the middle of the night – as a a concerned parent you’ll immediately want to stop the pain. It’s difficult to sleep when you have a toothache. Your pool child may be tossing and turning all night struggling with a toothache, or you may have a dental emergency yourself. Here are a few recommendations on ways to address common dental emergencies until you can see your dentist.
Which At-Home Treatment Is Best For A Dental Emergency?
Tooth Knocked-Out
Find the missing tooth and pick it up by the crown. Cover the drain and rinse it off under running water or milk. Press the tooth gently back into the empty socket or keep it stored in a container of milk til you can see the dentist.
Toothache
Apply ice or a cold pack to the troubled area. You may also take an over-the-counter pain reliever like Ibuprofen.
Bleeding Gums
Gently rinse your mouth out with warm salt water. Apply firm pressure to the gums until the bleeding stops. Make sure to brush and floss very gently until til you can see your dentist.
Broken Tooth or Crown/Filling
Gather the broken pieces and rinse your mouth. Try not to swallow any broken pieces of the tooth. You may use dental wax or a piece of sugarless gum to cover any exposed sharp edges of the tooth to better protect the interior of the mouth.
Broken Dental Plate
Save all the broken pieces of the dental plate for your dentist and cover any exposed or sharp edges with dental wax or chewing gum.
Final-Step: Schedule a Dentist Appointment A.S.A.P.
The dental remedies suggested here will only offer temporary relief until you’re able see a Dentist. Make certain to schedule a dentist appointment and explain that you or your child are having a Dental Emergency. We’ll tell you to come in as soon as possible if the nature of the emergency involves a traumatic injury or serious dental infection.
Should I Go To The Emergency Room If I’m Unable To See My Dentist?
If you or your child suddenly experience a traumatic injury to your teeth, mouth or jaw or have a serious dental infection, you should definitely go to the ER. The emergency room doctors can provide pain medication and antibiotics. If you have an injury that will not stop bleeding, they can help with that as well. The ER doctor may not be able to fix a dental issue, but they can alleviate symptoms until are able to see a dentist.
It’s important to note that medical doctors will not perform dental procedures. An Emergency Room Doctor or your Family Physician should be your last resort before going to the dentist. If you are forced to see an ER doctor, typically they will provide essential medical care to ensure that you’re not in any serious life threatening or immediate danger. They’ll make certain you are out of pain, or provide treatment for a serious dental infection, but normally, thats the extent of the care that they’re able to provide.
Emergency Dental Care Office in Woodbridge & 3 Other Convenient Locations
If they are a current patient, please contact their regular dental office to schedule an emergency dental appointment. We have locations in Woodbridge, Burke and Dale City Virginia.
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