Emergency Dental Care

Dental emergencies can happen at any time, but Dr. Jessica Hill has you covered whenever an emergency strikes. When you have an emergency like a knocked out tooth, don’t panic. It’s important for you to keep calm and take the correct steps before you come in to the office, so that successful reattachment of the tooth is more likely.

Time is short when you lose a tooth suddenly, but if you can get into the office with the tooth in about 30 minutes, it may be able to be reattached without the need for a replacement. First you should worry about your body: If you were injured in any way beyond losing a tooth, take care of your injuries. If your tooth is the primary concern, put it in a container of milk, or water if milk is not available. Call Dr. Hill’s office for an emergency appointment right away.

If a tooth is broken, you can collect the pieces and bring them in, in a container of milk or water. A shattered tooth, a broken tooth with missing pieces or a whole tooth that cannot be reattached are not going to leave you having to hide your smile. A dental crown can restore a broken tooth, and there are several options for replacing lost teeth including partial dentures, dental bridges or dental implants.

A lost or broken tooth that happens due to an accident is probably the most common dental emergency, but there are a few others. If you get something stuck between your teeth that causes immediate, sharp pain or that you cannot remove easily, this could be an emergency. Toothache is usually not an emergency unless it’s sudden or severe. But any toothache that does not go away on its own in a day or two should be checked out during a regular dental appointment because it could be a sign that something is wrong.

A cracked tooth is an emergency similar to a lost or broken tooth. But many cracks are cosmetic and could be mistaken for true cracks. Typically, these are lines, rather than cracks, and they are actually rather common. They’re called craze lines, and they tend to develop naturally on teeth over time.

If you ever have a dental problem and you are not sure if it’s an emergency or not, you should call. Dr. Hill and her staff in Alexandria, Virginia are dedicated to their patients’ dental health and make after-hours appointments available for emergencies. You can also call at any time during regular hours with any questions you have, or to set up regular appointments.

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