Emergency Dentistry – Rutland, VT

Stop Your Dental Pain Quickly

Most people don’t expect to ever have to deal with a dental infection, a knocked-out tooth, or any other kind of dental emergency. Unfortunately, such emergencies are more common than you would think, and you and your family should have a trustworthy emergency dentist you can turn to if the unexpected happens. When you or a loved one needs urgent dental care, call Family Dental Associates for an appointment.

Why Choose Family Dental Associates for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Appointments for Quick Emergency Care
  • Team That Works with Patients of All Ages
  • Trusted by Rutland Families for Over 30 Years

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

No two dental emergencies are alike, but the treatment we provide generally follows these steps:

  • Same-Day Appointment: We’ll work to schedule a same-day appointment if possible. We can also give first-aid tips over the phone if you need them.
  • Emergency Exam: We’ll prioritize stopping your pain before determining the root problem.
  • Review Findings: Once we identify the problem, we’ll explain the situation and give you our treatment recommendations and an estimate price and timeline.
  • Get the Care You Need: No matter the treatment, our team will make sure you get the care you need in as little time as possible.

 

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

There are many types of dental emergencies, and sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether an issue is truly serious. Please call our office if you believe your pain or injury might be an emergency. Below is a list of some of the most common dental emergencies we treat.

 

Understanding the Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

It’s not certain how much you’ll end up paying for emergency care since every case is unique. No matter what the situation is, though, we’ll always focus on relieving your pain and fixing the damage done to your mouth as quickly as we can. The only procedures we recommend will be the ones deemed absolutely necessary, and we’ll always give you an estimate on what the cost will be depending on which services are required.

 

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

While you’ll always have some level of risk for dental emergencies, you can prevent most problems by practicing good oral health habits. Maintain a steady oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing twice a day and visit our office for regular cleanings so that we can treat the areas that you’ve overlooked. To protect your teeth from physical damage, wear a mouthguard while playing sports and avoid biting on anything that’s extremely hard.

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Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Remember, your pain receptors are designed to signal that something is wrong, so a toothache should never be ignored. If the discomfort just surfaced, you may not need a same-day appointment. If, on the other hand, the pain has lasted more than 24 hours or your toothache is in conjunction with other abnormal symptoms, like pain when biting down, then schedule an appointment with our Rutland emergency dentist right away.

How You Should Handle a Toothache The first priority is to prevent further discomfort, so avoid eating crunchy, sugary, and acidic foods. Furthermore, you can place a towel-wrapped icepack against the outside of your cheek or take an over-the-counter pain reliever. If you need to sleep between now and your appointment, then prop your head up on some pillows to prevent blood from rushing to your head.

How We Treat Toothaches How we intervene will depend entirely on the root of the problem. If the source is a small cavity, then we can remove the damaged tissue and restore it with a filling. In cases of more severe damage, a dental crown, root canal therapy, or tooth extraction may be necessary.

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? In some cases, a chipped tooth is a dental emergency. If the chip is large or you’re in pain, then it absolutely warrants a call to our office. Of course, you can also schedule an appointment if the chip is small or you’re unsure if you need to schedule a same-day appointment. We’d be more than happy to learn more about your situation over the phone and help you determine the best course of action.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth First, gently rinse your mouth with room-temperature water. This will serve two purposes; it will remove bacteria from the area and rinse away any lingering shards of your tooth. Second, use a piece of sugarless gum (or dental wax, if you have it) to cover the tooth. This will prevent any sharp edges from cutting your tongue, lips, or the insides of your cheeks.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth The two most common treatment options are cosmetic bonding and veneers. While cosmetic bonding comes in a wide range of lifelike shades and can be completed in a single appointment, veneers are custom-made for each patient and designed to last for 10+ years. Don’t worry – we can review the pros of each of these treatments in-depth during your appointment so you can decide which one is best for you.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? A cracked tooth is a dental emergency, especially if it’s severe or causing you any discomfort. To prevent further damage or an infection from developing, call our Rutland dental team right away. From there, we can ask you a few questions, learn more about your situation, and provide you with step-by-step instructions on what to do next.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth If you’re in pain, then take an over-the-counter pain reliever as directed to ease your discomfort. The second step is keeping the area clear of bacteria by rinsing with lukewarm water periodically (hot or cold water could result in tooth sensitivity). Lastly, do not chew on that side of your mouth. If you do eat before your appointment, opt for something soft and nutrient-dense, like yogurt.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Typically, a tooth that has been compromised by a crack can be restored with a dental crown. There are some exceptions, however. For example, if the crack is so severe that the tooth cannot be saved, then we will extract it and review your tooth-replacement options, like a dental implant.

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Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? There are many reasons why tooth sensitivity may occur. Maybe it’s because your tooth roots are exposed, or your enamel has simply eroded over time. While mild cases are not usually considered urgent, you should make an emergency appointment if your sensitivity:

  • Becomes severe or painful
  • Lasts multiple consecutive days
  • Only impacts one to two teeth

How you should handle sensitive teeth: The first thing you should do is call our office. Over the phone, an experienced team member will provide first-aid tips to help manage your sensitivity. This often includes drinking lukewarm water, avoiding spicy or sweet foods, and taking over-the-counter pain medication as needed.

How we treat tooth sensitivity: Our team will need to identify the underlying problem before we recommend a treatment method. Depending on your situation, we may suggest using desensitizing toothpaste, prescription mouthwash, topical fluoride therapy, gum disease treatment, or root canal therapy.

Learn More About Fluoride Treatments

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy

Learn More About Root Canal Therapy

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is a knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes! Contact us right away to schedule an emergency appointment. You’ll need to get to our office within an hour to give yourself the best chance of saving the tooth.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Never pick the tooth up by the root! Only grab the end that’s usually visible when you smile. Put it back in its socket if you can, but if you can’t, you can use a glass of milk or a saline solution to help preserve it.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If the tooth is still mostly intact, we may be able to reimplant it. Over time, it’ll fuse with the surrounding bone tissue. However, you may need to explore your tooth replacement options if your knocked-out tooth cannot be saved. This will help you avoid problems that come with untreated tooth loss.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? Dental restorations don’t last forever, which means your crown or filling may eventually break or fall off. Although it’s not usually an emergency when that happens, you should still seek treatment right away. Getting the care you need will protect your tooth from damage and infection.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: You might be able to fix a crown temporarily with some dental cement, but this is only a temporary fix until we can perform proper repairs or provide a replacement. The exposed tooth might be sensitive or fragile, so don’t chew with it. If there are sharp edges, cover them with dental wax.

How we treat lost fillings or crowns: We might be able to recement the restoration if it’s still mostly intact. However, it may be best to simply get a replacement altogether if your restoration is too damaged or weakened.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Broken Dentures  

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Definitely! Although a broken denture may not result in any pain, it does negatively impact your quality of life by making it difficult to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture Whether your dentures have split down the middle or only a small portion of your restoration has chipped off, we recommend gathering all of the pieces and storing them safely in a clean container. Make sure to bring them with you to your appointment as well!

How We Treat Broken Dentures There are some cases where we can repair your existing denture. If the damage is severe, however, then we’ll provide you with a new denture or upgrade yours with dental implants!

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Loose Permanent Tooth  

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? A loose permanent tooth isn’t just at risk of completely falling out; it also makes chewing efficiently nearly impossible and can be quite painful. So, yes, it is a dental emergency and does warrant an immediate call to our office!

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth Your top priority should be preventing additional damage, which is why you shouldn’t chew on that side of your mouth or wiggle the tooth with your tongue. To reduce the chances of an infection developing, we also encourage patients to rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically (this will prevent bacteria from collecting in the area).

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth Dental splints and similar treatments can be used to provide your tooth with the support it needs, allowing us to save your natural tooth. If the damage is so severe that that’s no longer an option, then we’ll need to consider extracting the tooth and replacing it with a dental implant, dental bridge, or another tooth-replacement solution.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue  

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Since they often produce a lot of blood, many patients assume they should head straight to our office. However, soft tissue injuries don’t typically require professional treatment since the bleeding usually stops within 10 minutes of applying pressure. If it doesn’t stop, however, then you should go to the ER.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue To assess the damage and clean the wound, we recommend rinsing your mouth thoroughly with lukewarm water. Then, use a damp washcloth, some gauze, or a tissue to apply pressure to the area. Once the bleeding stops, you can use a towel-wrapped ice pack to reduce inflammation.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue As we mentioned above, cuts on your tongue, lips, and cheeks don’t usually require treatment from our Rutland emergency dentist. With that said, you should seek medical attention if you’ve been applying pressure for 10 minutes and the wound continues to bleed.

Jaw Pain  

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? If you have jaw pain every now and again, then it may not require same-day treatment. However, if the discomfort is persistent or is present in tandem with other abnormal dental symptoms (like pain when biting down), then it does warrant a call to our Rutland dental office right away.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain Placing a cold compress against your jaw and taking an OTC pain reliever are two short-term solutions. However, to get the long-lasting relief you deserve, you need to schedule an appointment with us so we can determine what the root of the problem is.

How We Treat Jaw Pain Chronic jaw pain often boils down to Bruxism, impacted wisdom teeth, or TMJ dysfunction. Regardless of the cause, you can rest assured that we will create a custom treatment plan designed to provide you with long-term relief.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth  

Remember, having something stuck between your teeth poses a risk to your oral health. That’s why it’s important not to ignore it! Instead, do your best to remove the debris with floss (not a tweezer or toothpick). If you don’t have any success, then give us a call to schedule an appointment.