What to Do When You Need an Emergency Dentist in Hampton, VA

Barry LeJeune • Nov 29, 2022

Dental emergencies are actually quite common. If you need an emergency dentist in Hampton, VA, learn your next steps here.

Imagine this: you're jumping into your car or playing your favorite sport when something goes wrong. An accidental blow to the face or an abrupt fall, and all of a sudden, you're trying to stop the blood from a cracked or even missing tooth.

No one likes to picture what could go wrong during their everyday activities, but it's important to think about what you might do if you find yourself in need of an emergency dentist.

From tending to your pain to scheduling the first possible appointment with an oral care team, taking charge of this urgent situation can help you get treatment fast. If you're in need of an emergency dentist, check out the tips below.

Know When to Call an Emergency Dentist

First things first: what constitutes a dental emergency? Certain conditions may cause you to worry without straying into the realm of a dental emergency. Others may need immediate care.

Here are some examples of urgent conditions where you'll want emergency dental services right away:

Extreme tooth pain, especially in or around the wisdom teeth
Pain from a recent oral surgery
A cracked, chipped, or broken tooth, which can expose the nerves
A tooth that has been knocked out
Excessive swelling of the gums, jaw, or mouth
Severe tooth sensitivity with a sudden onset
Bleeding that doesn't stop on its own
Food or objects caught between teeth or under the gums
Loose or broken orthodontic wires that cut into the mouth
A lost or broken filling, bridge, or crown

You're more likely to experience a dental emergency after improper use of your teeth. Eating something hard, chewing ice, or opening bottles with your teeth can cause damage, so make sure to avoid these activities. Dental emergencies are also common after workplace or car accidents, or while playing contact sports.

Note that even when your tooth injury hasn't caused you pain, such as a fractured or missing tooth that doesn't bother you at all, it's still important to seek dental care. Fractured teeth left untreated can leave you vulnerable to infection, for example, and a missing tooth can lead to a host of other problems.

Visiting the Hospital vs. Your Dentist

Though dentists can tackle a wide range of emergencies, there are some situations in which you'd be better off going to the ER. The reverse is also true.

In general, if you've had severe trauma to the mouth or face, a hospital might be the way to go. Bleeding cuts and lacerations as well as jaw fractures or dislocations are things a hospital can help with.

In addition, if you're having trouble controlling bleeding from your mouth, you might also want to try the ER. They may not be able to address the underlying condition, but they can help you stop the bleeding until you can get dental care.

The bottom line is that you should never wait for a dentist appointment if your condition is life-threatening or involves injuries to the rest of your mouth, head, or face.

On the other hand, while pain from a toothache or tooth injury may feel severe, you should likely wait to see a dentist unless your condition makes it hard for you to swallow or breathe.

What to Do When Your Dentist Isn't Available

Not all dentists are equipped to offer emergency dental care. If your usual dentist can't see you, it's important to find another as soon as possible. We recommend keeping the phone number of an emergency dentist on file, just in case.

If you can't find an emergency dentist right away, we still recommend calling your dentist before looking into alternative care. Many dentists can help patients find after-hours care or recommend another office that can handle the emergency.

Depending on your condition, they may also be able to give you instructions to help you ease your pain at home until you've found emergency care. Give them as much information as you can about your pain. If they allow you to email or text them a photo, this can help them better advise you.

Instead of spending valuable time finding a dentist online, consider visiting our office! We tackle emergency dental care by scheduling patients at the first possible moment, and we'd be happy to help treat your condition.

Treating Your Condition While You Wait

If you have a dental emergency on a weekend or in the middle of the night, you might have to treat your pain on your own while you wait.

In addition, some conditions may require an initial dental consult to allow your dentist to see how bad the injury or damage is before they can schedule a second appointment to address the root cause. Even if you have a second appointment set up, treating your pain until it arrives can be crucial.

Though your at-home treatment may vary depending on the problem, there are a few general tips that may help:

First, control bleeding as soon as you can. If you're dealing with an empty socket, wet a piece of gauze with water and fold it over the empty socket, applying mild pressure.

Take over-the-counter painkillers to reduce inflammation and pain. Using an ice pack on your jaw can help as well, though you should limit your ice therapy to sessions of no more than 15 minutes at a time.

Sit upright instead of lying flat, even at night. If your condition involves pain and inflammation, this can lessen the blood flow to your head and buy you a little relief.

Call an Emergency Dentist in Hampton, VA

No one wants to be in a situation where they're frantically searching for an emergency dentist, but it can happen to the best of us. Knowing who to contact in advance and what to do in the meantime can make things easier.

When you're in need of a dentist, contact our team at LeJeune Dentistry. We offer emergency dental services to help you with any pain, infection, or oral trauma you might experience. To learn more about what we can do, or to schedule an appointment, contact us today.

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