Emergency Dentist – Montpelier, VT
Need Help? Call Us to Eliminate Dental Pain
Dental emergencies most likely happen when we least expect it, often at the most inconvenient times. Fortunately, you don’t need to panic and wonder where you’ll go for help. At River Station Family Dentistry, we are pleased to help address your oral injuries in a safe and comfortable environment. Using advanced solutions and compassionate care, we will minimize your discomfort before establishing a plan to improve your smile, so it is no longer damaged but instead, vibrant, healthy, and beautiful. Call us should you need immediate assistance from our trusted emergency dentist in Montpelier, VT.
Why Choose River Station Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments
- Dentists with Years of Clinical Experience and Training
- State-of-the-Art Dental Technology
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
- Call to schedule an appointment – When faced with a dental emergency, the first step you should take is to call our dental office. We’ll work to schedule a same-day appointment, if possible. We’ll also provide first-aid tips to use at home to better manage the pain.
- Thorough examination – When meeting with Dr. Hale, he will examine your mouth to determine the underlying issue as well as quickly address any discomfort you’re experiencing.
- Review findings – Once the examination is complete, our team will review our findings and formulate a personalized treatment plan. This will allow us to take care of your smile more accurately.
- Provide comprehensive treatment – Depending on the extent of your treatment, we’ll either begin the process immediately or schedule you to come in at a later date.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
There are many common dental emergencies that our team can address. Even if you’re unsure whether the situation you are experiencing is an actual emergency, it’s always best to contact our dental office. We can survey the severity based on the information you provide and move forward most effectively so that your smile looks and feels better in the end.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
While you’ll probably be eager to receive treatment as soon as possible when you have a dental emergency, it’s also important to understand the costs involved with addressing the problem. Before you commit to any procedure, the team at River Station Family Dentistry will carefully explain the associated costs so you can make an informed decision and know what you can expect to pay afterward. Here’s some general information about how emergency dental treatments are priced at our office.
Every Dental Emergency Is Different
Your initial emergency dental visit will probably be relatively inexpensive. During this appointment, our dentist will examine your mouth, assess your needs, and determine the best course of treatment to address the problem. However, it is virtually impossible for us to provide you with a proper cost estimate until you receive an emergency exam at our office. A few common emergency dental treatments include dental crowns, root canals, and extractions, and our team will perform any procedure with the utmost attention to your safety, comfort, and long-term oral health. We’ll also make sure that you understand the cost of your treatment before you begin the process.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Most dental insurance plans offer at least some coverage for dental emergency treatments. Policies often cover at least one emergency exam a year completely and frequently cover emergency procedures by anywhere from 50% to 80%. However, insurance doesn’t usually cover sedation treatments. Since every plan is different, it’s important to verify what your provider will pay for and if any yearly maximums will come into effect before you commit to treatment. Our team will be happy to help you navigate this process.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
We understand that many people who experience dental emergencies are uninsured or underinsured. To help these people get the care they need to maintain their oral and overall health, we offer financing options through CareCredit. These flexible plans involve little to no interest and can break your bill into easily manageable monthly installments that are easy to fit into your budget. We’ll be happy to help you understand your payment and financing options during your appointment, so please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any questions.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
While many dental emergencies are the result of unanticipated accidents, they often happen due to untreated infections or injuries. Practicing excellent oral hygiene at home and visiting us regularly at our Montpelier office can help you keep your teeth in excellent health while minimizing your chances of dealing with a dental emergency, which can also save you thousands of dollars over the years. However, it’s crucial to have a dental emergency addressed as soon as possible to prevent further damage and the need for more expensive treatments later. For example, seeing us promptly for a toothache can make the difference between saving the tooth and having it extracted and replaced.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
It is impossible to prevent all dental emergencies, but you can take steps to reduce your risk. That’s what this next section is all about! Below, you will find what to do (and what not to do) to keep your smile happy and healthy. If you have any questions, you’re more than welcome to give us a call too – we are happy to provide answers and share recommendations with the goal of helping you safeguard your smile.
Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year
One easy way to reduce your risk of dental injuries is to schedule a dental checkup and cleaning at our Montpelier dental office every six months. These routine appointments not only ensure that we can catch oral cancer in the early stages, but that we can also detect tooth decay, gum disease, damaged restorations, and other serious dental problems before they require emergency care. Plus, we can remove plaque and tartar from your teeth, which helps keep your smile strong and healthy as well.
Commit to Good Oral Hygiene Habits
On a daily basis, you need to take good care of your smile. That starts with brushing your teeth for a full two minutes each morning and extends to flossing and rinsing with mouthwash each night. Beyond that, you need to use a soft-bristled toothbrush, replace your toothbrush every quarter (or sooner if the bristles begin to fray), and use a fluoridated toothpaste. If you ever have questions about your at-home oral hygiene regimen, including which products are best, let us know – we can help!
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
In short, it’s best to swap foods that are full of sugar and starch for healthier ones (fruit, vegetables, lean meats, etc.). That way, your body has the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to keep your teeth healthy and your gums infection-free. It’s equally as important to exercise caution with extremely crunchy foods, like hard pretzels, candy canes, and lollipops, since there’s an increased risk of one or more of your teeth chipping or cracking.
Wear a Mouthguard
It goes without saying that you should wear a mouthguard when playing football, basketball, or any other contact sports. But did you know that you should wear one during non-contact ones as well, like skateboarding, running, and hiking? That way, if you accidentally fall, your teeth and gums are protected from the impact, decreasing the chances of a serious dental injury. We can have a custom mouthguard made for you so it’s the appropriate thickness and size too!
Break Bad Habits
Finally, make sure you break bad habits, like smoking, biting your nails, and chewing on ice cubes. If you often use your teeth as tools – whether it’s to open plastic wrapping or remove a bottle cap – then make an effort to stop. That way, your chances of breaking a tooth or sustaining a serious soft tissue injury are significantly lower.
Tooth Extractions
Although tooth extractions will never be the first thing our team recommends, we may require them if there is a problem that cannot be addressed in any other way. Root canals, dental crowns, and dental fillings can often treat damaged or decayed teeth. However, if the problem is affecting the functionality of the tooth as well as its viability, the only solution might be to remove it and replace it with a dental bridge, partial denture, or dental implant.
Wisdom Tooth Extractions
Wisdom teeth are also referred to as third molars. Because they do not erupt until later in life (usually the late teens or early twenties), there is often less space available for them to push through the gumline. Many of these teeth can become impacted, causing pain and potential damage to nearby healthy tooth structures. By removing problematic wisdom teeth, we can generate additional space within the mouth while improving oral health for years to come.
Root Canal Treatment
When the pulp tissue in the center of your tooth becomes infected or damaged, root canal treatment becomes essential. There is a common misconception that these procedures cause a great deal of pain, but the truth is that they actually eliminate it by removing the infected tissues. In doing so, root canal treatment cleanses the structure while allowing it to remain firmly in place, preventing a possible tooth extraction later on. And to provide even greater stability, our team can place a customized dental crown over the vulnerable tooth structure.
Dental Emergency FAQs
Dental emergencies are one of those things you hope to never experience. If you do, however, it’s helpful to know as much as possible about what to do and where to turn. As always, our team at Montpelier is here to make getting the top-tier dental care you deserve as seamless as possible. If you want to continue your research online, then you’re also welcome to read on to learn the answers to some FAQs about emergency dentistry!
How should I sleep with tooth pain?
Remember, toothaches, even minor ones, warrant a call to our Montpelier dental office so we can make sure it’s not the result of an untreated oral health issue. If you have a few hours or days until your appointment and you need to sleep, however, then there are a few steps we recommend taking. First, don’t eat anything especially crunchy or hard before bed and take an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed. Second, keep your head elevated as you sleep (this will help prevent blood from rushing to the area and causing a lot of discomfort).
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
In dental emergencies, patients often think they should head to the ER right away. However, hospitals rarely have dentists on staff. As a result, the most they can do is alleviate your discomfort and then refer you back to your dentist for treatment. That’s why you should only go to the ER if you’re experiencing potentially life-threatening symptoms, like trouble swallowing, difficulty breathing, or uncontrollable bleeding.
My chipped tooth doesn’t hurt. Do I still need to visit?
Although pain is a common symptom of a dental emergency, it isn’t the only one. If you’ve chipped one of your teeth, then we recommend calling our Montpelier dental team and explaining your situation over the phone. From there, we can ask you a few questions and determine if same-day treatment is necessary. If it isn’t, then we will still schedule an appointment within a day or two so we can make sure your tooth isn’t at-risk of splitting further.
Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?
No, a knocked-out tooth should not be placed in water. To preserve the root surface cells of the tooth, you should place it in a container filled with milk or saliva. You can also place it back in the now-open socket, but you should only do so if it slides into place without any force.
Are toothpicks safe to use?
Unfortunately, many patients use toothpicks to clean their teeth. This is not a safe dental habit. Not only can the sharp point result in a soft tissue injury, but the wood can splinter off, resulting in numerous problems. Plus, perhaps most importantly, swallowing a toothpick can be deadly. For all of these reasons, you should stick to using a toothbrush and floss to remove debris from your teeth.