What happens in the event that you or your child have a dental emergency? Finding an emergency dentist nearby that takes walk-ins can be especially difficult sometimes.
Golden Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics provides walkin emergency dental care for both new and existing patients. We have 3 convenient locations in Burke, Dale City and Woodbridge,
Our other offices primarily office pediatric dental care services but at our Dale City office we primarily service adults. Because our office primarily focuses on adult care at this office, we can treat many dental emergencies such as wisdom teeth, dental infections, chipped or broken teeth, impacted teeth, cavities and injuries.
Emergency Dentist Office in Dale City
Many Americans experience a dental emergency at least once in their life. Over 92.4 million work or school hours are lost annually due to unplanned dental emergencies, according to the CDC. There is no way to predict when you will have a dental emergency, but it’s comforting to know that there is a local dentist in the area that provides emergency dental service.
If you’re experiencing extreme pain or our office is closed, we’d advise you to go to the hospital emergency room immediately. For less serious dental issues, such as a cavities, a chipped or knocked out tooth, it’s much more cost effective and responsible to come into our office and see a dentist. Leave the emergency room for true life threatening emergencies.
When To Go To The Emergency Room For Dental Emergencies
If you are experiencing any of the following and our office is closed we’d advise you to go to your local emergency room. The following are considered life threatening dental emergencies or the pain may be so severe that immediately relief is required:
- Fractured tooth or traumatic injury to tooth
- Oral infection or dental abscess
- Painful swelling near the jawline (occassionally this can be a sign of Ludwig’s Angina)
The following is a list of less severe dental issues that might not be life threatening but could still cause an urgent dental issue that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. For the following dental issues, an emergeny room isn’t required and you should try to schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience:
- A sudden toothache or mild pain in a tooth (Less than a 7 on scale of 1-10)
- Tooth sensitivity to hot and cold food or beverages
- Broken denture or dental appliance
- Cavitites or decayed teeth
- Bleeding gums (that can be stopped with direct pressure)
What Should I Do If I Have A Dental Emergency?
If you’ve sustained an injury while playing, or are suffering in the middle of the night with a bad toothache – obviously you will want to alleviate the pain as quickly as possible. If you are having difficulty sleeping and find yourself tossing and turning all night because of a bad tooth, you may have a dental emergency of your own. Here are a few things you can do to address common dental emergencies until you are able to see a dentist.
Best At-Home Treatment For Dental Emergencies
Toothache
Apply an ice pack to the troubled area and take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen.
Broken Tooth or Crown/Filling
Gather up the pieces and rinse the mouth. Try not to swallow the broken pieces. We’d advise using dental wax or a piece of gum to cover any sharp exposed edges of the broken tooth to protect the mouth.
Tooth Knocked-Out
Locate the dislodged tooth by the crown and rinse it off in running water or milk. Gently press the tooth back into the socket or keep the tooth stored in a container of milk to bring with you to the dentist.
Bleeding Gums
Rinse your mouth with warm salt water. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Gently brush and floss til you can see a dentist.
Broken Dental Plate
Save the broken pieces for your dentist and cover sharp exposed edges with dental wax or chewing gum.
Next-Step: Schedule a Dental Appointment Immediately
These remedies will provide temporary relief until you can see a Dentist. Make sure you to schedule an appointment and specify that you or your child are experiencing an emergency. Our staff will have you come in as quickly as possible if the emergency involves a bad infection or traumatic injury.
Should I Go to the Emergency Room If I Can’t See A Dentist?
If you experience a traumatic injury to the mouth or have a serious or life threatening dental infection, you should definitely go to the ER. The emergency room doctors can provide antibiotics and pain medication. If you have an injury that will not stop bleeding, they can help with that as well. The ER doctor may not be able to fix a dental issue, but they can alleviate symptoms until are able to see a dentist.
It’s important to note that medical doctors cannot perform dental procedures. That’s why an ER doctor or family physician should always be the last resort before seeing a dentist. They will offer essential medical care to make sure you are not in any immediate life threatening danger, are out of pain, or treat an infection but they will not typically perform any further care.
Dale City Emergency Dental Care Office
Each of our offices accept walk-in emergency appointments. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, please visit one of our offices as soon as possible. Again, our Dale City location primarily sees adults while we have 2 other locations in Woodbridge, and Burke that offer emergency dental care to children.
Schedule an Emergency Dental Appointment in Dale City
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