Emergency Dentist — Worthington, PA

What to Do in a Dental Emergency

When it comes to easing pain and restoring dental health fast, you can count on Dr. Adam and his team. Should you or a loved one experience a dental emergency, follow these steps:

• Step 1: Call Us Right Away! As soon as you are able to, give our office a call so we can schedule you for the soonest next available appointment. We’ll also walk you through how to handle your emergency until you can reach us.
• Step 2: See Dr. Adam for an Exam. When you arrive, your Worthington emergency dentist Dr. Adam will see you right away. Once he’s evaluated your condition and stopped any serious pain, he’ll review his findings with you and fully explain all your treatment options. Together, you’ll create a custom treatment plan that works for you.
• Step 3: Get the Fast and Gentle Care You Need. After you’ve agreed to a treatment plan, our experience team will leap into action to protect your teeth and repair your smile. Whether you need a filling, crown, tooth extraction, or something else entirely, your comfort will always be our top priority.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

If you’re experiencing painful symptoms that are out-of-the-ordinary or have a knocked-out or damaged tooth, don’t hesitate to call our office as soon as possible. In most emergencies, time is of the essence, so your dentist in Worthington will try to fit you in as soon as possible to provide you with the treatment you need.

There are a wide variety of dental problems that can be classified as emergencies. Obviously, a toothache caused by months of poor oral hygiene is quite different from a sudden injury to your mouth that results in a broken tooth. So, it can be difficult to determine when exactly you need urgent care. The most common signs of a dental emergency are:

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies 

When you suffer an injury that breaks or knocks out your tooth, the cost of treating your dental emergency is usually the last thing on your mind. That is, until you’re sitting in the dental chair at our office and reality sets in, causing you to panic about how you’re going to pay to get your smile repaired. Your emergency dentist in Worthington Dr. LJ Adam wants you to be more concerned about your oral health instead of the price of your treatment. That’s why you can expect our friendly and helpful team members to handle the stress of dealing with the financial aspect of your visit. We’ll happily file your insurance claims for you to maximize your available benefits.  Contact us  today to learn more!

Factors That Affect the Cost of Emergency Treatment

Unsurprisingly, most emergency visits will cost more than a routine checkup and cleaning would. Keep in mind, though, that there are several factors that can influence the cost of your treatment, some of which include:

• Type of restorative treatment needed.  The more extensive treatment that’s required to get your smile back on the right track, the more you can expect to pay.
• Dental insurance.  If you have dental insurance, you can generally expect your out-of-pocket costs to be lower.
• Places where the cost of living is higher, like big cities, tend to charge more for emergency care.

Financial Options Available

Here at Adam Associates Family Dental, we are happy to accept more major PPO dental insurance plans. However, if you are uninsured, we also partner with a third-party financing company called CareCredit. This plan allows you to take out loans to finance your care and pay them back in monthly, budget-friendly installments with incredibly low interest rates.

We also offer an in-house dental savings plan. For a low annual fee, you can receive 15% off all dental treatments, including emergency treatment, checkups, and cleanings.

The Importance of Getting Prompt Treatment

We all lead busy lives these days. As such, it can be hard to take time out of your hectic schedule to book an unexpected dental appointment. However, seeing us immediately could save you even more time and money in the long run. For example, if your tooth gets knocked out and you don’t see us within a few hours, you might lose that tooth forever. Missing teeth come with a host of oral health problems, including the risk of additional tooth loss. Not to mention, replacing a missing tooth can be costly. For this reason, you should drop everything and give us a call as soon as the emergency arises.

Once again, it’s important that you consider all the factors at play when you come in for emergency dental treatment, but the cost should  never  deter you from getting the care you need. Our dental team will do everything in their power to alleviate the stress of paying for your care and find a way to heal your smile without breaking the bank.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

There’s no surefire way to completely avoid experiencing a dental emergency. After all, they’re unpredictable by their very nature. However, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of injury and minimize your overall dental care costs. Our team is happy to discuss ways to safeguard your smile during your appointment, but in the meantime, we encourage you to read further so that you can begin taking preventive measures.

Visit Our Dental Office Regularly for Checkups

Regular  checkups and cleanings  are often considered the first line of defense when it comes to preventing dental emergencies in Worthington. While daily brushing and flossing are important, only a trained dentist like Dr. LJ can make sure your hygiene regimen is working and that no oral health issues are in the early stages of development. Attending a checkup on a regular basis allows our team to catch potential emergencies and stop them in their tracks with prompt treatment.

Keep Up with Your At-Home Oral Hygiene

Brushing for two full minutes every morning and every night with a fluoridated toothpaste is incredibly important in strengthening your tooth enamel against bacteria that cause cavities. Of course, you’ll also want to floss since it cleans the spaces between your teeth that your toothbrush can’t reach. To keep your mouth as clean as can be, we recommend that you rinse with a fluoridated mouthwash at least once a day.

Maintain a Balanced Diet

It’s no secret that overindulging in sugar leads to an increased risk of tooth decay. However, you should also limit foods that are particularly chewy, sticky, or hard. These items could fracture a tooth or even pull off a dental crown or other restoration. Instead, make sure to include plenty of nutritious foods and beverages into your diet. For example, milk is rich in calcium that strengthens the teeth and jawbone, while many fruits contain vitamin C, which promotes healthy gums.

Invest in a Mouthguard

Do you enjoy playing sports like football, basketball, or soccer? Do you have a habit of grinding and clenching your teeth when you’re stressed or anxious? In either case, it’s in your best interest to protect your pearly whites by wearing a mouthguard. Dr. LJ can even make you a custom guard that fits better – and delivers more protection – than the over-the-counter options.

Use the Right Tool for the Job

It may seem convenient to just use your teeth to open a bottle or a package, but this is actually one of the most dangerous things you can do for your smile. One wrong move and you could chip your tooth, scratch your gums, or sustain some other type of injury that sends you straight to our emergency dental office in Worthington. Taking a few moments to grab the appropriate tool can spare you several hours getting treated for a dental emergency!

Dental Emergency FAQ’s 

Even when you have enough free time to deal with a sudden dental emergency, it can still be incredibly stressful. While we’ve outlined ways to deal with common dental emergencies, you might still be confused as to how to handle your unique situation. As you wait for your appointment with your emergency dentist in Worthington, it may help to read through this list of frequently asked questions about emergency dentistry.

Should I Go to the Emergency Room?

In most cases, you should only call your local ER as a last resort, such as if your tooth has been knocked out and you can’t get ahold of us. This is because the vast majority of hospitals don’t have a dentist on their staff. As a result, they can’t address the root of your problem, at best being able to prescribe antibiotics or pain medication. They often don’t have the specialized equipment required to treat dental issues like a broken tooth. Generally, you should only visit the ER if your dental emergency also threatens your life, such as oral swelling that hinders your ability to breathe.

Will My Toothache Go Away On Its Own?

It’s very rare for a toothache to go away on its own after it has already appeared. Even if your toothache does begin to improve, you should still schedule an appointment with Dr. LJ so he can make sure there are no underlying problems with your oral health. With so many potential causes for a toothache, we want to rule out all possibilities before they have the chance to turn into serious problems. With all that said, toothaches associated with irritation in the gum tissue surrounding the tooth can go away on their own in certain cases.

Should I Have My Painful Tooth Pulled?

If you have a particular tooth that’s giving you trouble, you might think that extracting it would mean the end of your problem. However, removing a tooth can create its own set of issues. For example, the adjacent teeth could drift out of place, and you’ll be at a higher risk for cavities, gum disease, and further tooth loss. Not to mention, replacing a missing tooth can cost a pretty penny. Because of this, we generally only recommend an extraction if there is no other way to save the tooth. Rest assured that if we decide an extraction is what’s best for your oral health, we’ll do our utmost to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Do I Still Need to See a Dentist If My Toothache Went Away?

Most likely. You might feel relived if your tooth pain disappears, but if your discomfort was the result of an infection, your problem is far from over. A loss of pain could mean that infection has destroyed the nerve inside the tooth so that it stops sending pain signals to the brain. Ignoring this problem could cause the infection to spread. Even if your toothache goes away, you should still contact us as soon as you can.

Is My Toothache Caused By An Infection?

If you notice that your tooth is sore or throbbing, there’s a reasonable chance it is due to an infection. Furthermore, if you notice a bitter taste in your mouth, have chronic bad breath, tooth sensitivity, red or swollen gums, or a draining sore on the gums nearby the tooth, it’s likely a dental infection. You should also check if your tooth feels loose. Even with all these symptoms present, the only way we can confirm if you have a dental infection is if you visit our office. When you do, we can capture digital X-rays, perform a comprehensive exam, and provide you a detailed diagnosis from there.

Are Knocked-Out Baby Teeth A Dental Emergency?

You probably know already that baby teeth are supposed to come out on their own eventually. For that reason, even if your child’s baby tooth is knocked out too soon, you shouldn’t try to put it back into their open socket like you would an adult (permanent) tooth. Instead, call our office to set up an appointment for your child. Bring their tooth with you if you still have it. Permanent teeth can erupt too soon if a baby tooth comes out earlier than it should, which is why it’s important to visit us. If oral bleeding does not stop or you’re concerned your child has damaged their jaw, take them to the emergency room first.

How Should I Sleep With a Toothache?

It can be difficult to sleep when you have a toothache at night. Until you are able to see your emergency dentist in the morning, keep your head elevated. This will prevent blood from rushing to the head an intensifying your toothache. Additionally, take OTC medication as needed and avoid foods that are acidic, cold, or hard. A cold compress may also be able to help.

What Is Causing My Jaw Pain?

Jaw pain is usually caused by chronic teeth grinding and clenching, also known as “bruxism.” However, jaw pain can also stem from facial or jaw injuries that never healed properly and arthritis. When the jaw is misaligned, it can lead to TMJ disorder (TMD), a condition that affect the joints connect the jaw to the skull. By coming to the dental office, we can get to the root of your jaw pain and develop a treatment plan to provide you with relief.

Are Toothpicks Safe to Use?

Toothpicks, especially wooden ones, are not usually the best option. This is because they can easily damage your enamel and gum tissue. The wood can even splinter and break off inside the mouth. With a toothpick, it can be easy to push food debris further between the teeth or under the gumline, therefore causing additional issues. You are better off using dental floss or contacting your dentist.

Can I Pop a Dental Abscess On My Own?

You should never attempt to pop a dental abscess on your own. Instead, always get in touch with a dentist, as an abscess is considered to be an emergency. Popping the abscess on your own will only expose your mouth to additional bacteria and further irritate the area. Putting off treatment can allow the infection spread within the mouth and to other areas of the body.