Emergency Dentistry – Willow Grove, PA

Every Dental Emergency is Unique

Even though it might seem convenient to provide a cost estimate over a phone call, it’s impossible to do so without an initial consultation. Our team will first need to evaluate your oral health in person before we can tell you how much a dental emergency will cost, as every patient’s case is different. For instance, a person may only need a simple filling while another might require tooth extraction. Before beginning any work, we’ll walk you through your treatment options and review the overall price so you know what to expect.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

In most cases, preventive and restorative treatments, such as checkups and cleanings, fluoride treatment, fillings, and dental crowns will often receive complete or partial coverage. This will depend on each person’s insurance provider, so it’s important to verify the details of your policy before starting any procedures. Our team is also more than happy to help you navigate your plan so that you can maximize your benefits while maintaining a healthy smile.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

If you don’t have dental insurance, it doesn’t mean you’ll be out of options for making your dental care affordable. Our team provides multiple options that can help lower your out-of-pocket expenses when treating dental emergencies. We offer alternative financing through third-party financiers like CareCredit and Sunbit, which can turn the overall cost of your treatment into low-to-no-interest monthly payments. We also have an in-house savings plan that gives 20% discounts on any restorative/cosmetic treatment for one low annual fee. For new patients, we provide emergency visits for $49, which include an exam and X-rays.

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Though we can help address your dental emergency, it’s also best to practice preventive measures that can help you avoid complications in the future. The majority of urgent situations originate from oral health issues that could have been treated early on. For this reason, you should consider investing in your smile with regular dental checkups and cleanings every six months or sooner to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Our team will also thoroughly polish your pearly whites, that way you can show off your grin without many worries.

Keep Up with Your Oral Hygiene Routine

Be honest… Do you forget to floss from time to time? Do you quickly “brush” your teeth with some water when you’re tired at the end of the day? Do you skip rinsing with mouthwash entirely? Although habits like these may not seem like a big deal, they dramatically increase your risk of dental damage. The good news is that there is no time like the present to start new!

Tip: Set a reminder on your phone or put a Post-It on your bathroom mirror so you don’t forget!

Get a Dental Checkup and Cleaning Twice a Year

Simply put, dental checkups and cleanings are crucial, even if you take good care of your smile at home or aren’t feeling any discomfort. These biannual visits ensure that we catch any dental problems that do arise in the early stages and that harmful substances, like tartar, are cleared away. In other words, these preventive care appointments go a long way in stopping those small issues that could morph into an emergency later.

Stick to a Nutritious Diet

Unfortunately, over-consumption of starchy and sugary foods can lead to tooth decay as well as other oral health problems. That’s why we recommend keeping snacking to a minimum and sticking to a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet. This ensures that your body has everything it needs to fight off infections as well as keep your jawbone and enamel strong. So, do your best to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and filling carbohydrates!

Don’t Chew on Hard Objects

In short, you shouldn’t munch on ice or chew on other hard items like pens, pencils, or fingernails. This can wear down and even crack your teeth, which would warrant an immediate visit to our Willow Grove dental office. We recommend opting for healthier alternatives, like chewing on sugar-free gum instead of the back of your pencil.

Tip: If you’re having trouble getting a package open, be sure to grab the scissors instead of using your teeth!

Wear a Protective Mouthguard During Sports

Sports-related injuries can happen even during non-contact sports. So, make sure that you wear a protective mouthguard every time – whether you start your morning with a run, you play frisbee with friends after school, or you end your day lifting weights at the gym. This will ensure that your smile is safe from any unexpected impact.

Can the emergency room remove a tooth?

Generally, no – an emergency room isn’t equipped to pull teeth. Only licensed dentists can perform a tooth extraction, making the procedure illegal for anyone else. Hospital staff aren’t exceptions to this rule.

At best, an emergency room can provide antibiotics and pain medication. However, these things won’t address the problem underlying your toothache. They’ll only (temporarily) relieve some of its worst symptoms.

Besides, keep in mind that a tooth extraction may be unnecessary. If you see a dentist quickly enough, root canal therapy can treat your problem before it worsens. You’d then be able to save your tooth from being pulled.

Do chipped teeth heal?

True enough, tooth enamel is resilient; it’s even the hardest substance in the human body. Still, the fact remains that it won’t heal on its own. At most, chipped teeth can only re-mineralize – deposit calcium and phosphate into pre-existing enamel. That process repairs your pearly whites but doesn’t “grow back” the enamel they’ve lost.

Ultimately, only restorative or cosmetic dentistry can change a tooth’s condition. As such, you might want to hide a chip with dental bonding, a crown, or a porcelain veneer. It could remain visible and unsightly otherwise.

Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?

While you can rinse a tooth with water, you shouldn’t place it in any. Prolonged exposure to water damages the surface cells of teeth. Therefore, storing a knocked-out tooth in the liquid reduces your chances of saving it.

Alternatively, you should hold the tooth in its original socket. Doing so gives your dentist a better chance of getting it back in place. If that option isn’t possible, though, you can store the tooth in milk or saline solution for up to one hour.

What does chronic bad breath mean?

Everyone suffers from bad breath occasionally; it’s a normal part of life. Chronic bad breath, though, is different. Also known as halitosis, this condition is often a sign of serious oral problems. These might include:

• Gum disease – One of the main symptoms of gum disease is bad-smelling breath. If infected gums are the source of your halitosis, you should seek dental care immediately.
• Tooth Decay/Cavities – The same bacteria that decay teeth also tend to cause foul odors.
• Dry Mouth – Your mouth might produce an insufficient amount of saliva. In that case, smelly bacteria can gather on your tongue, creating bad breath.

If your bad breath persists for an extended period, see your dentist immediately.

What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?

Throbbing tooth pain is likely to be a sign of inflammation or infection inside the tooth. This can happen due to severe decay or cracks exposing the tooth’s inner chamber to bacteria, causing it to become irritated or infected. However, some throbbing tooth pain is caused by habits like chronic teeth clenching or grinding.

Will My Toothache Go Away on Its Own?

Since toothaches do not typically go away on their own, it’s best to schedule an appointment at our office in Willow Grove if you have one so we can make sure that there isn’t anything wrong. Toothaches can result from a variety of factors, so it’s important to determine what causes a particular case and address it appropriately. This can reveal underlying oral health problems and prevent more serious issues down the line. However, some toothaches, such as those caused by irritated gum tissue, may go away on their own.

What if My Toothache Suddenly Disappears?

If you find that your severe, throbbing toothache disappears one day, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the issue has been resolved. In fact, this can be a sign that the tooth decay has killed the nerve inside the tooth, and this sort of infection may spread to other parts of the mouth or even other tissues in the body if it isn’t dealt with. If your toothache seems to suddenly disappear, it’s still best to visit us at our office in Willow Grove so we can see if you need treatment.

Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?

The typical emergency room is not equipped to deal with dental emergencies, so it’s best to immediately bring these problems to our attention in most cases. However, an emergency room may be the better choice if you believe your jaw is broken or dislocated, you have severe cuts or lacerations in your face or mouth, or an oral infection is making it difficult to breathe or swallow. If you have a dental emergency when no dentist is available, an emergency room may be able to set you up with pain relievers and antibiotics and treat a dislodged tooth so it stays in savable condition for up to twenty-four hours. This should be enough to tide you over until our office opens in the morning.

How Long Can a Tooth Last After It Has Been Knocked Out of Your Mouth?

Your tooth will begin to die about fifteen minutes after it is dislodged from its socket, and it is most likely to be saved if you get to our office within thirty minutes. However, there are certain cases where a tooth can be saved even if it has been dislodged for more than an hour. You can help your tooth stay alive longer while transporting it to our office by placing it back in its socket, keeping it inside your lip or cheek, or storing it in a container filled with milk or saliva. If you use a tooth preservation kit approved by the American Dental Association, the tooth may be able to remain in savable condition for up to twenty-four hours.