Emergency Dentist — Annapolis, MD
Don’t Put Off Treatment! Call Our Office Instead.
Dental emergencies can be unpleasant, and they seem to happen at the most inopportune times. When you’re in need of assistance, don’t hesitate to contact Goodman Dental Care in Annapolis, MD as soon as possible. Our team will do everything in our power to see you on the same day as your initial call. If your emergency occurs after-hours, our answering machine will provide you with a phone number for one of the doctors . We can also provide guidance over the phone to assist you in managing your emergency until you are able to be seen in the office.
Why Choose Goodman Dental Care for Emergency Dental Care?
- Works Hard to See You the Same Day
- Multiple Forms of Sedation Available
- Same-Day Crowns Available for Permanent Restorations
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
- Schedule an appointment with us ASAP: When a dental emergency occurs, the first thing you should do is give our office a call. Not only do you get the chance to schedule an emergency appointment (ideally for the same day), we can also help you stabilize your condition by providing first-aid tips over the phone until you get to our office.
- Performing an exam and getting you relief : After you reach our office, one of our dentists can perform a detailed exam of your mouth, capture X-rays if needed, and confirm the exact cause and severity of your dental emergency.
- Reviewing our findings to create a treatment plan: Once we have a better understanding of your current situation, we can recommend a treatment plan from there that will resolve your symptoms and stop your emergency from worsening. We’ll also go over the amount of time we expect treatment to take and your estimated costs.
- Get the dental care you need completed: Depending on your treatment plan, we may need to have you visit for multiple appointments. Ideally, we should be able to help you the same day. Common treatments for dental emergencies include dental fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, or another service entirely.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
We treat a wide variety of dental emergencies at our office, so don’t assume your dental emergency will get better on its own or that it’s not a big deal. In some cases, visiting our office for an appointment can make the difference between saving a tooth and needing to replace it with a dental implant. If you experience any of the following dental emergencies below, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies
Determining an exact cost for your treatment can be quite difficult without having you come into the practice for closer examination. With that said, you don’t have to worry – we won’t leave you wondering, especially when it comes to something as important as the price. You can also read on if you want to learn more on the topic in the meantime, including the different financial solutions that are available at our office.
Here’s Why Every Dental Emergency is Different
Simply put, no two situations are exactly the same! In order to provide you with an accurate estimate of the cost, your emergency dentist in Annapolis needs to perform a detailed evaluation and confirm which treatment is needed to get you out of pain. Usually, simple treatments, such as a dental filling or crown, are more affordable than more complex treatments, like a root canal. However, no matter what the costs are, we’ll help you build a treatment plan that resolves your dental emergency in a reasonable way.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Dental plans can vary, so it’s important to look through the fine print on your plan if you aren’t familiar with your benefits already. Of course, if you need any help, you can also reach out to our Annapolis dental team, too! Not only do we accept all PPO dental insurance plans, but we can also assist with the process of understanding your coverage, maximizing your benefits, and lowering your out-of-pocket expenses.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Oftentimes, patients who don’t have dental insurance assume that the dental care they need is simply too expensive. If that’s the boat you’re in, then we recommend exploring the other financial solutions that are available at our office, like CareCredit and Lending Club! These trusted third-party financiers offer flexible payment plans. As a result, you don’t have to pay for the entire cost in one lump sum if that doesn’t work for your budget.
How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Fortunately, many common dental injuries, including small chips and severe cracks, are largely preventable. If you want to protect your smile from harm and your wallet from an unexpected bill, we strongly recommend prioritizing healthy habits, like flossing daily and scheduling a dental cleaning every six months. Additionally, you should avoid doing anything that could potentially jeopardize the health of your smile, like chewing on ice cubes.
Remember, if you begin to experience persistent sensitivity, a stabbing pain when you bite down, or any other abnormal dental symptoms, you shouldn’t take the “wait and see” approach. Instead, you should reach out to our team at Goodman Dental Care right away. That way, we can treat the root of the problem before it gets any worse.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
You can avoid many dental emergencies simply by maintaining a few simple habits. After all, even though broken or decayed teeth can often be treated and saved, it’s better for your oral health if you can stop them from being damaged in the first place. Below are a few simple steps you can take that will decrease your risk of needing to call our office for emergency care in the future. If you’d like additional tips for protecting your oral health, let us know at your next appointment.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
This is one of the simplest steps you can take to avoid a dental emergency: simply make time twice a year to visit our office for a checkup and cleaning. These visits allow us to identify and stop oral health problems like cavities and gum disease as early as possible. They also allow us to clean your teeth and take other measures to prevent oral health issues from happening in the first place!
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home
You should take the time to brush your teeth at least two times every day – once in the morning and once in the evening. Brushing regularly helps remove the food particles and bacteria that can cause decay and infection in your mouth. You should also floss at least once every day; it’s the most reliable way to clean the spaces between your teeth that a toothbrush normally wouldn’t be able to reach. If you’d like to be as diligent as possible, you can finish off your oral hygiene routine by rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
Drinking a soda or eating a cookie every once in a while is not going to lead to an immediate dental disaster. However, repeatedly exposing your teeth to sugary or acidic foods and beverages can be very bad for your enamel and leave it badly weakened. Try to minimize your intake of such treats and introduce more smile-friendly foods into your diet. Crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots are great examples, as they help clean your teeth and gums while you’re chewing them.
Wear a Mouthguard
Many dental injuries occur while playing high-contact sports. When participating in such activities, make sure that you’re wearing a customized mouthguard to keep your teeth safe. If you have bruxism (a condition where you involuntarily clench and grind your teeth at night), then you should also invest in a nightguard that will protect your enamel from being worn down or damaged in your sleep.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
Tearing open containers, packages, and bags with your teeth might seem like a time-saver now, but it could cost you in the long run. Using your teeth as tools can significantly wear them down, and sooner or later you may find yourself with a chipped or cracked tooth. Always take the time to find scissors or something else designed to open a stubborn container instead of putting your teeth at risk.
Emergency Dentistry FAQs
How Do I Know If My Toothache Is an Infection?
The question of whether or not your tooth is infected isn’t one you can answer on your own; the only way to know for sure what’s causing your toothache is to visit your dentist. That being said, there’s a good chance that the discomfort in your tooth is the result of an infection if:
- The pain seems to be throbbing.
- The tooth in question is unusually sensitive.
- The surrounding gum tissue is red or swollen.
- You are experiencing a constant bitter taste in your mouth.
- You have bad breath that won’t go away.
Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?
Generally speaking, calling the emergency room is not your best option for dealing with toothaches and other urgent oral health issues. The doctors at the emergency room likely don’t have the training or equipment needed to address problems involving the teeth, meaning they won’t be able to provide the care your smile needs. As such, it’s generally better to turn to your dentist when a dental emergency strikes.
That said, there are exceptions. You should call the emergency room for a dental issue that could potentially put your life in danger. This includes:
- A fractured or dislocated jaw.
- A cut inside the mouth that won’t stop bleeding.
- Severe swelling that makes it difficult to breathe or swallow.
How Long Can a Tooth Last After It Has Been Knocked Out of Your Mouth?
Assuming that you keep it moist by preserving it in milk or a saline solution, a tooth can survive for around 60 minutes outside of the mouth. That being said, your chances of saving it will typically be better if you get to your dentist’s office within 30 minutes of the initial injury.
Is It Safe to Repair Dentures with Superglue?
No. Superglue contains toxic chemicals and is not safe to put inside your mouth. Repairing your dentures with this substance could lead to serious health issues, and it could have a negative impact on the way food tastes. Furthermore, the saliva in your mouth will cause the superglue to dissolve, thus undoing your repairs.
In general, it’s best not to attempt to fix a denture on your own. Instead, you should make arrangements to see your dentist so that they can repair or replace your prosthesis.
How Long Can I Go Without a Crown After It Falls Off?
In many cases, it’s possible for the affected tooth to last for a few weeks after a dental crown falls off. However, you should not wait that long to address the problem, as leaving the tooth exposed could put it at risk for additional damage or infection. If you want to protect your oral health, it’s in your best interest to have the restoration reattached or replaced by a dental expert as soon as possible.
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