Are you or a loved one experiencing quite a bit of dental pain? Has someone damaged a tooth in an accident or developed a severe toothache? To get the attention you need, just give Lakewood Complete Dentistry a call right away. We’re happy to accept emergency dental patients and do our best to provide same-day relief, so you can get the urgent attention you need. Dental discomfort and pain are not fun, so we’ll make sure you’re able to get back to your normal life in no time!
Why Choose Lakewood Complete Dentistry for Emergency Dental Care?
Same-Day Dental Emergency Appointments Available
Dental Practice Open During Evening Hours
State-of-the-Art Dental Technology for Quick Solutions
Call Our Office: From the moment you call, our team will work hard to get you seen the same day however possible. In the meantime, our office staff can provide first-aid tips over the phone.
Get Your Emergency Exam: When you do reach our office, a team member will check you in and take you to a dental operatory so our dentists can perform an emergency exam. Their proven experience means they know how to bring calm to even the most stressful situations.
Review the Findings & Make a Plan: Following the exam, which may include digital X-rays, if necessary, we’ll break down our findings and recommend a treatment plan based on what will best help alleviate your discomfort and prevent the problem from getting worse (or coming back). This plan will also include estimated costs and length of treatment.
Get the Care You Need: Whether you need to have a dental filling or crown placed, root canal therapy performed, teeth extracted, or something else, we’ll work as quickly as possible to resolve your dental emergency.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies of all varieties can appear, which is why it’s always best to give our office a call even if you aren’t sure that what you’re experiencing is considered a dental emergency. In the meantime, you can find some helpful tips to manage your urgent issue before you arrive at our office.
Once we’ve determined the best treatments for stopping your pain and repairing the damage to your teeth and gums, we can give you an idea of how much the treatment will cost. We will only recommend the services that we deem necessary, and we will take every possible step to ensure that your treatment is as affordable as possible. Below are some factors that can determine the cost of emergency dental care as well as strategies for making sure that it doesn’t break your budget.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
Since the term “dental emergency” covers a lot of ground, the price for care isn’t set in stone. An emergency appointment is relatively inexpensive by itself; this visit simply involves examining your mouth to determine how severe the damage is so that we can put together a treatment plan. Possible treatments for dental emergencies include fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, tooth extractions, and more. We will provide pricing information when we make our recommendation, and we’ll make sure that you’re aware of all of your options before you continue with the process.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Odds are that your dental plan has some level of coverage for emergency care. In most cases, it will pay for at least one emergency exam per year, and 50% to 80% coverage is typically offered for the restorative treatments that are commonly used to treat and repair damaged teeth. You can’t take this for granted, however, as each plan is different, and some yearly maximums and deductibles affect how much your insurance company can pay for a given procedure. Before you agree to your dentist’s recommendations, you should consult with your insurance company immediately so that you know what is and isn’t covered.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Lakewood Complete Dentistry accepts Delta Dental, Guardian, MetLife, Humana, and other various plans. Not every patient has insurance, though, which is why we also allow for financing through CareCredit. You don’t have to stress about paying for your care all at once because CareCredit will let you pay in installments over a period of months without any surprise charges or prepayment penalties. We can discuss your financial options in more detail once we have an idea of what your emergency treatment will look like.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
While dental emergencies related to injuries and accidents cannot be predicted, most of the time they’re caused by decay, infection, and other consequences of poor oral hygiene. Brushing your teeth, flossing on a regular basis, and investing in routine dental checkups can help you avoid dental emergencies – which will save you a lot of money that you might have had to spend on urgent dental care otherwise.
Another tip for saving money on dental care is to call your emergency dentist in Lakewood once you’ve noticed that there’s something wrong with your smile. Dental infections and other emergencies don’t get better as time passes, so it’s important to have them treated before they become more difficult (and expensive) to treat.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Although you can’t fully stop one from occurring, you can take several steps to prevent dental emergencies in Lakewood. Contrary to what you might believe, not all sudden oral health issues result from an accident or injury. In fact, many could be avoided. Here are the best ways to prevent dental emergencies.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Many patients require urgent dental attention because of an untreated issue, like tooth decay. A minor cavity can quickly lead to a serious toothache if it isn’t treated promptly. You can ensure there aren’t any untreated oral health problems lingering in your mouth by visiting your dentist regularly. They’ll monitor your teeth and gums to address any concerns before they have a chance to turn into a big problem. The American Dental Association recommends a cleaning and checkup at least every 6 months.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home
A healthy smile begins at home. Your oral hygiene habits are your first line of defense against preventable issues, like tooth decay and gum disease. It’s best to brush your teeth at least twice daily using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Clean all surfaces of your teeth and tongue for at least 2 minutes each session. Don’t forget to clean between each tooth nightly with high-quality dental floss. An antimicrobial mouthwash can remove any bacteria or food particles left behind by your toothbrush and floss to make sure your smile is extra clean.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
A healthy diet is important for more than just a trim waistline. Your teeth and gums also rely on nutritious foods, like protein, fruits, and whole grains. Limit your consumption of sugary foods and drinks to prevent cavity-causing bacteria from eroding your enamel. If you can’t ignore your sweet tooth, brush your teeth well. If you’re unable to get to your toothbrush, rinse your mouth with water or chew a piece of sugarless gum.
Wear a Mouthguard
Many dental emergencies are sports-related. Although they are common, they can be avoided with an athletic mouthguard. The custom-made appliance provides a protective barrier for your teeth and gums to lessen the severity of an injury if there’s an impact to the mouth. Research shows a mouthguard can even prevent concussions and jaw injuries. You wouldn’t play football without a helmet, so don’t play contact sports without an athletic mouthguard to avoid an unplanned trip to an emergency dental office in Lakewood.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
We’re all guilty of using our teeth to tear open chip bags or loosen the lid on a water bottle. Although our teeth can be handy, you shouldn’t use them as tools. Opening packages and using your teeth for more than biting or chewing food can lead to broken or fractured teeth. It’s best to take a minute to find the right tool for the job to preserve your smile. You’ll also want to keep any inedible objects out of your mouth, like your fingernails, pencils, or pens. If you have a habit of chewing, reach for a piece of sugarless gum.
Dental Emergency FAQs
How Long Should I Wait to Receive Emergency Care?
Ideally, you should contact us right away if you have some kind of dental problem, even if you’re not sure whether or not it’s an emergency. In these situations, it’s much better to be safe than sorry. This is because, unlike a lot of general medical issues, which often get better over time, dental problems typically worsen the longer you ignore them. To top it off, most dental emergencies have some degree of pain involved, so you’re going to want to see your emergency dentist in Lakewood as soon as possible to relieve your discomfort.
When Should I Go to the E.R. vs the Dentist?
If your dental emergency is also life-threatening, such as swelling that affects your ability to breathe, then you should visit the emergency room of your local hospital. Jaw dislocations or fractures and serious oral infections also warrant a visit to the emergency room instead of your dentist. However, for any other kind of dental emergency that is not life-threatening, visit your dentist in Lakewood instead.
What If I Have Something Stuck in My Teeth?
First, rinse your mouth out with warm water to try and dislodge the object. If that doesn’t work, then gently use dental floss. NEVER use a sharp object such as a toothpick to remove something caught between your teeth, as it can damage your tooth or the soft tissue in your mouth. If you can’t remove the object by yourself, then you should call us and schedule an emergency appointment.
Toothaches
Is my toothache a dental emergency? Toothaches can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from something simply being stuck in-between the teeth to a crack in the enamel to an advanced infection. The most common causes of toothaches are cavities, but severe dental pain is often a sign of an infection that’s hidden deep within your tooth. Your toothache qualifies as a dental emergency if you experience:
Severe pain that lasts more than 24 hours, is distracting, or wakes you up at night
Sharp, jabbing pain when you close or open your mouth
A small, pimple-like bump on the gums near your painful tooth
Darkening or loosening of the painful tooth
Signs of infection like swelling, discharge, fever, or fatigue
How you should handle a toothache: First, floss thoroughly around the affected tooth to make sure that there isn’t a piece of food or debris stuck in that area. If that doesn’t help, call us as soon as you can. From there, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, as directed and rinse your mouth out with saltwater to ease discomfort. Applying a cold compress to your cheek can help as well, especially if the pain is accompanied by swelling
How we treat toothaches: How we treat your toothache will naturally depend on what’s causing it. For instance, a toothache caused by a cavity will require much different treatment than an infected tooth. Once we evaluate you, we can fully explain all your treatment options.
Is a chipped tooth a dental emergency? Chipped teeth don’t always hurt, but they need to be treated within a few days to prevent further damage and minimize your risk of a dental infection. Otherwise, leaving a chipped tooth untreated may allow the tooth to break further and require more extensive treatment.
How you should handle a chipped tooth: If you’re able to find and retrieve any broken-off portion of your tooth, be sure to bring it to your appointment with you. You should avoid chewing on that side of your mouth until you get seen by our dental office. Take painkillers as needed and directed, use an ice pack to reduce swelling, and apply either a piece of sugarless gum or dental wax to your tooth to avoid accidentally cutting your cheek, lips, or tongue the with sharp edge of your chipped tooth.
How we treat chipped teeth: Depending on the damage, we may simply be able to fill in the damaged area of your tooth with direct bonding, or we may use the tooth-colored composite resin to reattach any pieces of your tooth you were able to recover. If the chip is severe or on a front tooth, you may want to consider porcelain veneers for optimal aesthetics.
Is a cracked tooth a dental emergency? A broken tooth can occur for several reasons, such as trauma or a weakened tooth breaking. No matter the cause, it needs to be repaired right away to prevent a bacterial infection inside the tooth.
How you should handle a cracked tooth: Rinse your mouth with warm water and avoid eating with the damaged tooth. Use over-the-counter pain relievers as directed and apply cold compresses to the outside of the mouth to manage discomfort.
How we treat cracked teeth: The most common treatment for broken or cracked teeth is a custom-made dental crown. Thanks to our CEREC one visit restorations, we can craft a dental crown for you in just a single appointment, no temporary crown needed. Smaller cracks in the teeth can be treated with direct bonding, while severely damaged teeth may need to be extracted and replaced.
Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency?: Sensitivity is generally not an urgent dental issue, which means it can be addressed during regular business hours without much concern. However, it is a sign that another underlying issue is present. For that reason, you should give us a call to schedule a checkup. If you notice sensitivity that is severe, long-lasting, impacts one or two teeth only, or turns into dental pain, call us right away.
How you should handle sensitive teeth: Start by calling our office so we can provide first-aid tips over the phone. Drink plenty of lukewarm water and avoid consuming anything that is spicy, acidic, or sweet. Take painkillers as needed to manage any discomfort.
How we treat tooth sensitivity: Depending on the cause of your sensitivity, we may recommend desensitizing toothpaste, prescription mouthwash, or topical fluoride treatment. More severe underlying conditions like infection will require antibiotics. If the issue is related to the gums, gum disease therapy may be the best option.
Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency?: The moment a tooth is knocked out, you need to act quickly. After about an hour has passed, the chances of saving the tooth greatly diminish, so don’t wait to give us a call if a tooth is knocked out of your mouth.
How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Start by locating the tooth and pick it up only by the crown portion. Do not touch the root or remove any tissue that may still be attached. Gently rinse any dirt or debris from the tooth but do not scrub it. Place the tooth back into your open socket to keep it preserved. If this is not possible, place it in milk, saline solution, or a saltwater mixture to keep it preserved for up to one hour. In the worst-case scenario, you can store it inside your mouth against your cheek or in saliva.
How we treat knocked-out teeth: If you get to our office soon enough, you may be able to salvage the tooth and get it reimplanted. However, if the tooth cannot be saved, we’ll recommend tooth replacement options for you to consider.
Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency?: Lost fillings and dental crowns are not typically dental emergencies. However, your teeth are at greater risk of infection without their dedicated restorations, even if there’s no pain present, so give us a call to get them replaced.
How you should handle a lost filling or crown: While dental fillings need to be replaced outright when they come out, a dental crown can be temporarily reseated using dental cement. This should not be considered a permanent solution as you’ll likely need the crown replaced anyway.
How we treat lost fillings or crowns: If the restoration is relatively new or intact, we may be able to reattach it. More often than not, though, it needs to be replaced. Our office utilizes CEREC same-day crowns, a technology that designs and creates brand-new restorations in a single visit!
Although dentures are not real teeth, when they break, it is still considered a dental emergency. Without a functioning denture, you likely can’t eat your normal diet, and broken dentures can be not only uncomfortable but also painful. If you experience this, don’t wait to have it addressed—contact our Lakewood office for an appointment right away.
How You Should Handle a Broken Denture
After calling our office, don’t try to wear your broken dentures. They could damage your gums or any remaining teeth within the arch.
How We Treat Broken Dentures
Depending on their age and the extent of the problem, we’ll either fix your dentures or need to replace them.
After all your adult teeth have erupted, they are supposed to last a lifetime. Therefore, if they start to feel loose, it is a clear sign that something is wrong. Often the result of trauma or gum disease, loose permanent teeth need to be handled with care and addressed as soon as possible.
How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth
To prevent the tooth from coming out completely, avoid eating crunchy, chewy, or sticky foods. Also, be gentle in your oral care at home so that you don’t disturb the loose teeth, and rinse your mouth with warm saltwater to keep it clean.
How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth
Once Dr. Artino has identified the cause of the problem, we can restabilize the tooth or provide gum disease therapy, whichever is necessary. Keep in mind, however, that we many need to extract the tooth and restore it if the damage is too extensive.
Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency?
Possibly. Dr. Artino is concerned about the health of not only your teeth but also your soft tissues. Plus, damage to your gums, tongue, or lips can affect your other oral structures, so it’s a good idea to get checked out after this kind of injury.
How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue
Your first priority with a soft tissue injury is to stop the bleeding. Hold a clean cloth or gauze to the wound and gently press. If bleeding hasn’t slowed after 10 minutes, you should go to the emergency room because a more serious medical problem could be going on. Even after bleeding has stopped, consider coming in to have Dr. Artino check your teeth and jawbone to make sure nothing else is damaged.
How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue
If needed, we can provide stitches for the soft tissue injury, and we will examine your mouth to make sure it is healthy and unharmed.
Jaw Pain
Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency?
Typically no. It is fairly normal to experience a brief period of discomfort in the jaw joint at some point in life. However, if you find that daily functions like eating become too difficult or painful, or if your discomfort lasts for an extended period or worsens over time, let us know, and we’ll arrange for you to meet with Dr. Artino sooner.
How You Should Handle Jaw Pain
There are tons of ways to relieve jaw pain, including using heat/cold therapies, eating softer foods, and taking over-the-counter pain reliever. For more advanced cases, you don’t have to wait until your next checkup appointment to talk to Dr. Artino and can schedule an emergency appointment.
How We Treat Jaw Pain
Treatment may differ from case to case based on the underlying cause. If you grind or clench your teeth while you sleep, we can provide a nightguard to protect your smile and your ease the muscles in your jaw joint. If your bite is not properly aligned, we can correct the issue with orthodontic care.
Most people have little spaces in between their teeth. Unfortunately, bits of food, gum, or something else can get wedged in these tight areas, causing discomfort or even shifting teeth out of alignment. To get the object out, gently floss between the teeth. Do not use a knife or other sharp instrument to poke or pry the object. You could end up seriously damaging your gums or teeth. If you are unable to succeed with flossing, give our team a call.
