What Do You Do if You Have a Dental Emergency in Virginia Beach?

Dental emergencies happen. It’s one of those things that you don’t think will ever happen to you – until it does. And when it does, it can be extremely unsettling.  What do you do? Who do you call? Is your particular injury best treated by your dentist, or do you need to go to the emergency room? These are all very good questions, and ones that can be answered when you call our office for help. What’s important is that you make the call. Wondering if your situation really is an emergency won’t do you any good. Make the call, get help. It’s that simple.

Here’s the thing about dental emergencies . . .

What most people think is that a dental emergency is a traumatic event; an injury to a tooth or the mouth during a sporting event or other type of accident. In reality, the most common dental emergency, and one we treat with great care in our Virginia Beach office, is the standard toothache.

  • A toothache may seem to appear out of the blue, and very intensely. Behind the pain of a toothache, we usually find decay. Generally, there are indications of a cavity forming, but they can be easy to miss. It may be slight sensitivity, or fleeting, mild pain. If you experience these sensations, schedule a visit with us. It’s better to find out you don’t have a cavity than to learn, via a powerful, throbbing toothache, that you do.
  • Cracked, broken, or lost restorations. A filling or crown may break, crack, or fall out when you least expect it. The cause of this injury could be something as simple as a small kernel of popcorn. The care that you need will depend on the extent of damage. If a restoration actually falls out, it is important that the tooth be covered as soon as possible. A crown may be able to be held in place temporarily with commercial cement, which can usually be found in a pharmacy. Gluing a restoration to the tooth should never be done. If a restoration is damaged, an office visit needs to be  made the same day or next day.
  • Infection. Infection doesn’t just mean a cavity, it usually means something worse. Another word for severe infection is abscess. This condition requires prompt care so unhealthy bacteria do not enter into the bloodstream or surrounding tissue. Abscess can be very painful, and may be visible in the form of pus around a tooth.

In urgent dental situations, we focus on relieving pain as quickly as possible, and then on restoring the tooth along with optimal oral health. For friendly care, call (757) 417-7300.