Emergency Dentist — Carlisle, PA
Don’t Wait to Get Your Dental Emergency Treated!
Is your tooth in severe pain or even broken into multiple pieces? Do your teeth hurt so bad that chewing becomes an impossible task? Is your tooth knocked out completely? The last thing you should do is put off an emergency visit to our dental office when in pain, especially if you want to save your tooth! Our dental office takes these issues very seriously and will do everything possible to resolve your problem the same day it occurs. Call our dental office now if you’re experiencing a dental emergency!
Why Choose Carlisle Family & Cosmetic Dentistry for Emergency Dental Care?
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments Available
- CEREC One-Visit Restorations Like Dental Crowns
- Comfortable & Accommodating Dental Office Environment
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
If you are experiencing any painful or worrying symptoms, don’t wait to get your dental emergency treated! Stay calm and follow these steps:
- Step 1: Call us as soon as you can. We hold space in our schedule to make sure we can see emergency patients the same day they call us. We’ll also give you personalized first-aid instructions to follow until you can reach us.
- Step 2: See your Carlisle emergency dentist. Neslund or Dr. Benner will see you when you arrive. Once they’ve evaluated your situation, they’ll walk you through your treatment options and work with you to put together a custom treatment plan.
- Step 3: Get the fast dental care you need! With our wide variety of services and advanced dental technology such as our CEREC same-day dental crowns, we’re able to address most dental emergencies right away once a treatment plan has been made. Our goal will be to protect your teeth and restore your oral health as quickly and comfortably as possible.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Your dental emergency will likely fall into one of two categories. The first is long-term emergencies that develop over long periods of time due to untreated issues, such as cavities, gum disease, or teeth grinding. The second is sudden, short-term emergencies caused by physical trauma. Always call our dental office if either of these situations occurs so we can schedule your emergency appointment. Until you get to our dental office, read our tips on how you can address your emergency.
Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies
The best way to determine the cost of your dental emergency is by having Dr. Neslund or Dr. Benner evaluate your case directly. The sooner you get to our dental office, the sooner we can determine what sort of treatment is needed. Each dental service comes with its own unique cost, which is why an initial consultation is important. When you arrive, we’ll make sure you’re feeling comfortable, get you examined as soon as possible, and discuss your treatment plan in better detail.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
The best way to determine the cost of treating your dental emergency is by having Dr. Neslund or Dr. Benner evaluate your case directly. The sooner you get to our dental office, the sooner we can determine which treatment is appropriate. Each emergency dental service comes with its unique cost, which is why the initial consultation is important. When you arrive at our office in Carlisle, we’ll make sure you’re feeling comfortable, examine you as soon as possible, and discuss your treatment plan in greater detail.
Every Dental Emergency Is Different
Emergency dental visits are usually relatively inexpensive, but it is virtually impossible to give the exact overall cost until we can see you in our office. When you arrive, our team will work quickly to evaluate your condition and assess your needs so we can determine the appropriate treatment to address your problem. Common emergency dental treatments include:
- Root canal treatment
- Tooth extractions
- Tooth-colored fillings
- Dental crowns
- And others
During your emergency appointment, we will explain any issues we find, your recommended treatment plan, and the estimated overall cost.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
While a dental emergency can happen due to unpredictable circumstances, many of them result from untreated damage or oral infections. Keeping up with your routine dental appointments and your oral hygiene at home is the best way to avoid dental emergencies and can save you thousands of dollars over time. It’s also a great idea to wear a nightguard if you grind your teeth at night or an athletic mouthguard if you play sports. We offer customized mouthguards and nightguards at our office.
It’s important to seek help immediately upon noticing pain or damage in your tooth. While it’s understandable that some patients will be worried about the cost, resolving the issue will only become more expensive the longer you wait. For example, if you have a toothache, seeing a dentist immediately could mean that you only need a relatively inexpensive root canal, but waiting to have it treated could lead to you needing more costly extraction and replacement services.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Most dental insurance plans cover at least some of their policyholders’ emergency dental visits. Some plans will completely cover one emergency dental exam annually but only cover associated treatments like root canals and extractions by 50% to 80% in most cases. Since every plan is different and yearly maximums must be considered, our staff will be happy to help you understand exactly what your policy will pay for before you commit to treatment.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Since many patients do not have dental insurance, we offer financing plans through CareCredit, a trusted third-party financier that breaks your overall bill into monthly installments with little to no interest that can be easily managed.
Our team is ready and eager to help you navigate the cost of treating your dental emergency, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for help.
Keys to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Knocked-out teeth, loose restorations, and severe toothaches are just a few dental injuries that you want to avoid if you can. While dental emergencies aren’t entirely preventable, there are several steps you can take to dramatically reduce your risk of experiencing one. Read on to learn a few that we recommend to our patients in and around Carlisle.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Has it been more than six months since your last checkup and cleaning? Then don’t wait any longer to schedule an appointment! During this visit, one of our talented Carlisle dentists will conduct an oral exam, screening for cavities, gum disease, and other oral health concerns. If they are detected and treated in the early stages, then a severe toothache, painful gum infection, and other dental emergencies can be avoided.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home
In short, preventive dentistry is the key to avoiding dental emergencies. Between your visits to our office, it’s of the utmost importance that you implement a solid oral hygiene routine to prevent decay or an infection from surfacing. In addition to using a soft-bristled toothbrush and toothpaste with fluoride to brush each morning and evening, we recommend flossing daily and rinsing with mouthwash regularly. It’s also smart to avoid unhealthy dental habits, like smoking, chewing on ice, and biting your nails.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
It’s no secret that sugar is one of the leading causes of cavities. Plus, indulging in hard, crunchy, and sticky foods can result in a dental emergency, like a cracked tooth or loose restoration. While you don’t need to eliminate any foods from your diet entirely, it is recommended that you fill your plate with vitamin-rich foods as often as possible. Eating vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and lean protein can help keep your smile healthy from the inside-out!
Wear a Mouthguard
Are you active in contact sports or other high-impact activities? Then it’s crucial that you wear a mouthguard every time you participate (including practices). We also recommend mouthguards to patients who chronically grind their teeth. The good news is that getting a custom-made sportsguard or nightguard is as easy as scheduling an appointment with our team! From there, we can learn more about how we can protect your teeth and create a mouthguard that suits your needs perfectly.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
Although your teeth are sharp, they are meant to bite into your food, not a chip bag or bottle cap. That’s why you should never use your teeth as tools; all it takes is one time for your teeth to give instead of the object. Simply put, it’s essential that you take the time to use the proper tool instead. Your smile will thank you for it!
Dental Emergency FAQ’s
Have you ever experienced a dental emergency? If so, you know firsthand how frightening and stressful they can be, especially when you don’t know what to do. At Carlisle Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we want to give you the information you need to handle any unexpected situation with ease. Our team is more than happy to answer your questions over the phone or during your visit. In the meantime, we hope these answers to some frequently asked questions below can help you out.
How Should I Sleep With Tooth Pain?
When you have a nagging toothache, it can be difficult to get some much-needed sleep at night. One of the best ways to deal with it is by keeping your head elevated. It’ll help prevent blood from rushing to your head and worsening your pain. You can also take over-the-counter pain medication and use a cold compress to alleviate your discomfort. Also, make sure you avoid eating acidic, cold, and hard foods right before bed to prevent further irritation.
What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?
In most cases, it’s a sign of an infection or inflammation within the tooth. When cracks (or cavities) inside the tooth allow air and bacteria to reach the inner area, it can result in irritation and infection of the pulp nerves, causing pain. Sometimes, throbbing teeth are the result of chronic teeth grinding and clenching.
Should Knocked-Out Teeth Be Placed In Water?
No! Water can damage the root surface cells of teeth, lowering the chances of saving your knocked-out tooth. The best thing you can do in this situation is place the tooth back into your open socket. If that’s not possible, you can preserve it in milk or saline solution for up to an hour. It’s important to keep the tooth moist while you wait to see your emergency dentist in Carlisle.
What Should I Keep In My Emergency Dental Kit?
Dental emergencies can happen when you least expect them to, which is why you should always be prepared for the unexpected. It’s a good idea to keep an emergency dental kit with you at all times just in case you ever find yourself in an unfortunate situation. Some essentials you should have in your kit include:
- A small sealable container
- Sterile gloves (ideally nitrile)
- Gauze pads and dressings
- Cotton balls
- Temporary filling material like dental cement
- Denture adhesive
- Petroleum jelly
- Anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen
- Floss
- Ice pack
- Your emergency dentist’s contact information