Emergency Dentist – North Central San Antonio, TX
Stop Your Pain with a Same-Day Appointment
By nature, dental emergencies tend to be sudden, scary, and very inconvenient. If you or a family member are currently experiencing a traumatic injury and/or severe oral pain, the first step is to stay as calm as possible. Then, pick up the phone and call your emergency dentist in North Central San Antonio. Our skilled dental team is here to assist you. Dr. Eck will see you the same day to give you the relief you need using the latest advancements in dentistry.
How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies
You can never tell when a dental emergency is going to happen to you. Although you never expect to find yourself in this situation, it is more common than you might believe. 1 in 6 Americans faces one every year. Often, they occur without any warning from an accident or injury to the face or mouth. Other times, they are the result of an issue that has been brewing undetected, like a cavity.
No matter the cause it can be difficult to determine what exactly constitutes as a true dental emergency. If you are unsure, we are here to help. We are only a phone call away to provide you with the guidance you need to perform first-aid at home until your emergency dental appointment.
Toothache
A toothache is among the most common dental emergencies. While it is often thought it is normal to have one from time to time, any unexplained pain should be evaluated by your dentist quickly. It could be the result of an infection that will require a root canal to save your tooth. In the meantime, take an over-the-counter pain reliever to manage your discomfort.
Chipped/Broken Tooth
A tooth can break for a variety of reasons, such as trauma to the mouth or an untreated cavity. No matter the cause, it must be treated right away, or you risk losing your tooth. Besides taking a pain reliever, apply a cold compress to the outside of your face to manage any swelling. Keep your tooth clean and avoid chewing with it until after it is repaired.
Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out tooth can be devastating, but not all hope is lost. We may be able to save it if you act quickly by rinsing your tooth with cool water and trying to reinsert it back into its socket. If you are not successful, place it in a cup of milk and head to our office. If we cannot save your tooth, we offer the latest dental prosthetics to complete your smile.
Lost Filling/Crown
It is natural for crowns and fillings to come loose over time. If you have one fall out, do not try to fix it on your own. Instead, maintain your oral hygiene and do not chew on your tooth until after it is repaired.
Protect Your Teeth from Urgent Dental Issues
While dental emergencies aren’t 100% preventable, there are some steps you can take to minimize your risk. The best defense is a good offense, which means you can do some things proactively to keep your smile healthy and strong. By maintaining good dental habits, you will dramatically decrease the chance of an urgent dental issue. Keep reading to learn the best ways to prevent dental emergencies in North Central San Antonio.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
The American Dental Association recommends that you attend routine checkups and cleanings twice a year for good reason. These appointments give our dentists a chance to catch any dental problems early on, so they don’t develop into something much more. The cleanings also remove plaque and tartar buildup that will eventually cause damage and decay. While some dental emergencies are sudden due to injury, many painful situations can be avoided simply by letting a professional care for your smile.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home
Of course, it’s important to take care of your smile when you’re outside of our office, too. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day will prevent cavities and decay that can lead to root canals and tooth extractions. Without regular brushing and flossing to remove harmful plaque and bacteria, your smile will become damaged, decayed, and more prone to dental injury because of weakened enamel.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
Believe it or not, oral healthcare extends far beyond brushing. One of the factors that influences your oral health most is the types of foods you eat. Cutting down on sugary foods and carbohydrates will reduce harmful bacteria in your mouth, which in turn decreases your risk of issues like decay, gum disease, or infections. An easy way to make a significant change in your dental hygiene is to substitute sugary foods for fruits and veggies. Items like apples, carrots, and celery act as natural toothbrushes, scrubbing the surfaces of your enamel as you chew them. Plus, they promote saliva flow, which helps wash away lingering plaque and food debris.
Wear a Mouthguard
Do you play sports or participate in physical activity? If so, it’s vital that you wear a mouthguard. This will reduce your chance of damage to your smile from traumatic injury, and it will lessen the concussion that you experience from forceful impact. Our mouthguards are custom-made, which makes them more effective and durable than over-the-counter products.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
As an easy way to limit the risk you put on your teeth, only use them for eating, speaking, and smiling. You may be impatient about opening packages, gifts, or even bottles, but using your teeth as a tool is an easy way to crack, chip, or break your enamel. If you find that you’re always wanting to open items with your smile, it may be worth investing in a pocketknife or small pair of scissors to keep nearby. This will help you avoid a trip to our emergency dental office in North Central San Antonio.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
It may be tempting to delay getting the care you need because you fear the cost of an emergency visit. There is nothing to worry about. You can use your dental coverage to help lower the amount you need to pay. There is no set cost you can expect to pay because the fees are determined by your individual treatment plan. We provide you with an estimate and discuss your payment options. We will maximize the value of your policy to keep your treatment affordable.
Every Dental Emergency Is Different
Because there are countless varieties of dental problems that can occur, there is no fixed cost of dental emergencies in North Central San Antonio. We basically can’t give you a piece estimate until you come in for an exam. However, in most cases, your initial visit shouldn’t be that expensive. During this appointment, our dentists will quickly get you out of pain, examine your mouth, and determine what treatment you need to get your smile back to normal. Some common treatments we may recommend include:
- Fillings
- Dental crowns
- Root canal therapy
- Tooth extractions
- TMJ therapy
- And more!
Rest assured that our team will go over these procedures (and their pricing information) beforehand so that there are no unpleasant surprises.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Reduce Your Dental Bills
While some dental emergencies are random accidents, many of them occur as a result of infection or damage that has been building up for weeks or months. Investing in good at-home oral hygiene and routine dental checkups and cleanings can prevent these issues and potentially save you thousands of dollars in urgent dental care over the years.
It’s also crucial that you contact an emergency dentist in North Central San Antonio as soon as possible after the problem arises. Even if you’re worried about the potential costs, keep in mind that the costs will generally increase the longer you put off treatment. For example, getting an aching tooth looked at right away could mean the difference between saving your tooth with a root canal and having to extract and replace the tooth altogether!
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Dental insurance providers understand that accidents happen, so many of them cover at least one emergency exam per year. Additionally, they’ll typically offer partial coverage for services that are commonly associated with hurting teeth, like root canal therapy or tooth extractions.
Our practice is in-network with several dental insurance policies and has years of experience maximizing patients’ benefits. We’ll do everything we can to help you make the most of your coverage.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you don’t have insurance, don’t worry – we have other ways of helping you fit the cost of your emergency care into your budget. For one, we can work with you to apply for financing through CareCredit. This company lets you break up the cost of your care into monthly payments, many of which come with low to no interest.
Alternatively, you can sign up for our in-house Dental Wellness Plan. For a flat annual fee, you can receive FREE preventive care, as well as one complimentary emergency exam per year as needed. You’ll even get a 20% discount on most of our other services. Plus, you won’t have to worry about any deductibles, annual maximums, or waiting periods!
Dental Emergency FAQ’s
Your recovery from a dental emergency relies on you being able to make the right decisions at the time the trauma occurs. To aid in your preparation, we’ve provided answers to four frequently asked questions that pertain to dental trauma. Taking heed to what you learn will factor greatly in the restoration of your oral health, and it will help to prevent any unnecessary suffering. Then, with the expert care of Dr. Eck or Dr. Sage at our San Antonio office, you can soon get back to leading a normal and fully-functional life.
How Do I Know It’s a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency will typically fall into one of the following categories: intense tooth pain, complete or partial tooth loss, excessive bleeding, a lost restoration or acute jaw pain. The first step you should take in any of these situations is to calmly assess what has happened, and then reach out to our office to schedule an appointment with either Dr. Eck or Dr. Sage. We’ll examine you, make a diagnosis and develop a plan of action to provide effective and expedient relief.
When Should I Head to the Emergency Room?
While it’s rare for a dental emergency to warrant a trip to the emergency room, there are some situations that require it. Here are two examples of problems that need more immediate care:
- Acute Jaw Pain – If you’ve received a blow to the face or you’ve had a bad fall, and there is resulting jaw pain, it could be a sign of a fracture. In such a case, keep your jaw as immobile as possible and head to the emergency room.
- Excessive Bleeding – A typical response to oral bleeding is to gently apply or bite down on a cotton gauze in the affected area. If this is unsuccessful and bleeding continues for more than 10 minutes, then visit the emergency room.
If the Pain Stops, Should I Still Visit?
While one of our goals here is to provide you with methods to stabilize your dental emergency, these are all temporary. Therefore, no form of dental trauma should ever be ignored. Although a brief ease in the pain sensation may give a false sense of security, the problem won’t just go away. Worse, by ignoring it, you run the risk of an even greater catastrophe soon occurring.
By paying either Dr. Eck or Dr. Sage a visit, you can have the peace-of-mind of knowing that there will be no re-emerging problems to knock you off balance in the future.
How Long Will It Take Me to Recover?
Because dental trauma can vary so, there are no set time parameters for recovery. Some issues can be rectified by one of our capable dentists prescribing medication, while there are others that require more complex forms of care. The good news is when you visit our San Antonio office, and you undergo a full examination, Dr. Eck or Dr. Sage can make an accurate diagnosis and then map-out a complete treatment protocol for your recovery. At that time, you’ll also be provided with any other pertinent details so you can stay completely in the loop.
Schedule an Appointment Today!
If you have a dental emergency, do not wait. Contact our office today for an appointment.