Emergency Dentist Grand Prairie
When There’s No Time to Wait!
Whether it’s caused by a sports-related injury, poor oral hygiene, or an accidental fall while out for a run, dental emergencies often require timely treatment. This is why Dr. Vo believes in providing same-day emergency dentistry appointments for Grand Prairie patients in need. By calling our office and alerting our team to your situation, we can get you in as soon as possible and restore your smile to its pre-injured, gorgeous state.
Why Choose Radiant Smiles for Emergency Dentistry?
- Same-Day Dental Appointments Available
- Nitrous Oxide Used to Curb Anxious Individuals
- Our Team Will Maximize All Available Benefits
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
Treating dental injuries requires that you first notify our office and schedule an emergency appointment. Once you arrive, we will begin taking scans of your mouth and evaluating the severity of the problem, helping you out of pain. Dr. Vo will then create a customized plan to address the affected tooth or teeth and discuss it with you to ensure you feel comfortable with the proposed approach. Depending on the type of injury and required treatment, we will either administer care the same day or have you return at a later date.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Chipped, cracked, knocked-out, and infected teeth are just a few of the many types of dental emergencies we treat at Radiant Smiles. Loose teeth, lost restorations, broken prosthetics, and even jaw pain are also likely to receive timely care from our talented team. If you are experiencing an emergency please call our office today.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
When you have a dental emergency, the last thing you want to worry about is whether you can afford the care needed to save your smile. It’s natural to wonder what you might expect to pay for your appointment, but the amount due depends on your individual circumstances.
For example, our office in Grand Prairie offers a $29 limited emergency exam that includes an assessment and X-rays; however, you will also be responsible for covering the cost of any required treatments based on our findings. Continue reading to learn more about how the total for your visit is determined, and please don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions.
Every Dental Emergency is Unique
It is nearly impossible to predict the cost for your emergency visit until Dr. Vo examines your mouth to determine the root problem and devises potential treatment plans. There are many reasons you might require a same-day appointment, and some issues can be handled more easily than others.
For example, if your teeth feel sensitive, you might only require a topical fluoride treatment and a prescription mouthwash. However, more serious issues, like toothaches, decay, disease, or injuries, require more complex solutions, such as a root canal followed by placing a customized dental crown. We’ll provide an estimate when we put together an appropriate treatment plan and walk you through the information for your approval before proceeding.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Many insurance policies do offer some type of coverage for emergencies. For instance, they might fully cover an annual exam or imaging, and they often include up to 50% to 80% of procedures necessary to address the issue, like root canals, crowns, and extractions.
Every plan is unique, though, so it’s worth verifying your information to know what’s included. If you’re struggling to find the information or need help with claims paperwork or applications, please let our office staff know. They are familiar with different policies and are happy to help you maximize your available benefits.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Although dental insurance can reduce your out-of-pocket expenses for emergency services, we understand that not all patients carry a policy. We also believe that everyone deserves high-quality care they can trust, regardless of their finances.
That’s why, in addition to our $29 limited emergency exam, we also offer an in-house savings plan. For a flat monthly or annual rate, you gain access to basic services and additional discounts on other treatments. We have also partnered with Cherry to offer flexible financial plans that allow you to divide your total invoice into more manageable installments if your application is approved.
How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Although some dental emergencies happen due to circumstances beyond your control, many oral issues can be avoided. Fortunately, proper preventive care is a simple and cost-effective way to avoid urgent concerns that require complex and expensive solutions.
For instance, brushing and flossing twice daily removes plaque and bacteria so your enamel and gums can better resist tooth decay, gum disease, and injuries that can eventually cause an emergency. Additionally, having a routine checkup with Dr. Vo every six months enables him to monitor your condition, allowing him to catch and treat any areas of concern before they progress.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
At our office in Grand Prairie, Dr. Vo provides a comprehensive menu of services, so he’s sure to have solutions to address your dental emergency. He understands that some oral issues are beyond your control, but thankfully, many common dental concerns can be prevented.
Routine care and maintenance can strengthen your smile so it can better resist common problems that can contribute to emergencies, and is also usually more cost-effective than complex procedures needed to repair damage that has already occurred. Continue reading to learn more about how you can avoid dental emergencies and feel free to contact us with additional questions!
Visit Your Dentist Consistently
The American Dental Association recommends visiting your provider every six months for a routine checkup and cleaning. Regular routine visits allow Dr. Vo and the rest of our team to monitor your condition so we can catch and treat any areas of concern before they have a chance to progress into more severe issues.
Plus, we have the experience and technology to quickly identify problem areas that can be difficult to see on your own at home, such as decay or disease between teeth or behind your molars.
Maintain A Regular At-Home Dental Hygiene Routine
You must also clean your mouth consistently at home to avoid cavities and gum disease that progressively worsen the longer they remain unaddressed. The ADA suggests brushing for a full two minutes both morning and night, followed by flossing to remove stubborn plaque and bacteria.
This freshens your breath and keeps your grin healthy to reduce the likelihood of experiencing an emergency.
Eat A Wholesome Diet
Did you know that your dietary decisions significantly impact your oral health? For example, eating too many sugary foods attracts bacteria that cause problems, and overly acidic ingredients can erode your enamel prematurely.
Meanwhile, filling up on dairy products that contain calcium can strengthen teeth and bones, and many citrus fruits and leafy greens have high vitamin C content to support your connective tissues.
Safeguard Your Smile
Athletes and others who participate in close-contact sports or activities are prone to sustaining injuries that can damage or dislodge their teeth. Also, many patients subconsciously grind their teeth at night due to a condition known as bruxism, which can wear their teeth down prematurely or cause chips, cracks, or fractures.
Dr. Vo can provide a customized nightguard or mouthguard to create a layer of cushion that protect your teeth from the force of constantly clenching or being knocked in the face.
Try Not To Use Your Teeth As Tools
Have you ever opened a letter of plastic packaging with your teeth? This seems like a quick and convenient solution, but it can cut your gums or harm your enamel, which doesn’t regenerate on its own.
Taking a few extra moments to locate the necessary tool for the job, like a pair of scissors, letter opener, or box cutter, can potentially save your smile!
Dental Emergency FAQs
What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?
Severe, throbbing tooth pain is probably a sign of an advanced infection within the tooth. In cases like these, large cracks or cavities can expose the pulp tissue to the air and the oral environment, and this can cause miserable pain if the nerve ending inside the tooth becomes infected. In cases like these, root canal treatment is usually the best way to eliminate the infection, but teeth that cannot be saved will have to be extracted and replaced with an appropriate restoration.
However, this issue can also be the result of chronic grinding and clenching. If this is the case, we will probably recommend wearing a customized nightguard from our office.
Will a Toothache Go Away on Its Own?
Toothaches are often caused by dental infections such as cavities, and these do not go away on their own. If you experience persistent tooth pain, it’s best to schedule an appointment at Radiant Smiles so we can investigate the issue to see if anything is wrong. If the problem is caused by severe tooth decay, we may be able to eliminate the infection with painless root canal treatment. However, a tooth that is beyond saving will have to be extracted and replaced with a restoration such as a bridge, implant, or denture.
Toothaches can also be caused by issues such as temporary inflammation of the gum tissue, so the pain may go away if the irritation resolves itself. However, the sudden disappearance of a severe toothache may be due to the infection killing the nerve inside the tooth. In cases like these, the infection will go on even if no pain is present, so it’s crucial to visit our office immediately.
How Should I Sleep with Tooth Pain?
There are a few home remedies that can temporarily relieve your dental pain so you can get some shuteye before calling our office in the morning. One of the best ways to reduce throbbing dental pain is to keep your head elevated when resting, and many people do this by propping their heads up with pillows or cushions or sleeping in a recliner or adjustable bed. You can also use over-the-counter pain relievers or a cold compress to reduce your discomfort. Clove oil is an ancient remedy for toothache, and you can use it by soaking a cotton ball with the liquid and holding it over the distressed tooth for a while.
Can I Pop a Dental Abscess on My Own?
Popping a dental abscess on your own can expose the wound to further infection, so never attempt to do this. Instead, contact our office as soon as you notice a severely painful bump on your gums so we can address the issue in a sanitary and effective manner. Neglecting to have the issue treated can allow to the infection to spread to other areas of the mouth and possibly the other parts of the body as well.
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