Emergency Dentist – Schoharie, NY
We’re Here for You When You Need Us the Most
About 1 in 6 Americans will have to contend with a dental emergency this year, which may consist of a toothache, cracked/chipped tooth, or even a knocked-out tooth. These unexpected events can be quite stressful, but know that you can always give us a call to get the immediate help you deserve. At Schoharie Dental, we offer same-day emergency dental appointments whenever possible and will do everything we can to quickly relieve your discomfort and restore your smile. Call us today if you need an emergnecy dentist in Schoharie!
Why Choose Schoharie Dental for Emergency Dentistry?
- Same-Day Emergency Dental Appointments
- Experienced & Caring Dental Team
- Additional Financing Through CareCredit
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How We Treat Dental Emergencies
First, we’ll capture X-rays of your mouth and conduct a thorough examination of your teeth and gums to look for any underlying problems, like tooth infections. Based on our findings, we’ll create a customized treatment plan for you to address your pain and restore any broken or damaged teeth. After walking you through the plan, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to move forward with it or not. Our team will also provide you with a thorough cost estimate for emergency dental treatment as well.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
If you’re questioning whether your situation can be considered a dental emergency or not, we recommend calling us! We’re happy to let you know whether we believe it requires same-day treatment. We’ve also included a list of common dental emergencies that we treat below to give you an idea of what we consider urgent!
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
Whether you’re visiting us because of a painful toothache or because one of your teeth fell out, one question on your mind might be, “How much is the dental care I need going to cost?” Don’t worry – before we do anything, we’ll discuss pricing with you as well as dental insurance coverage and your options for additional financing. That way, you don’t have to stress about the price and can focus instead on getting the emergency dental care you need.
Why Every Dental Emergency is Different
There’s not a set cost for treating dental emergencies because the price will be determined by the type of treatment you require, which we can only determine once we examine your mouth. For example, if you’re experiencing dental sensitivity due to a cavity, a tooth-colored filling wouldn’t be very costly. However, if you have a severe toothache that requires a root canal and crown, this would be a more costly visit to the emergency dentist. Rest assured that our Schoharie dental team will review the findings of our exam, our treatment recommendations, and the associated costs before intervening with the necessary restorative care.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Oftentimes, yes. While your dental insurance provider likely won’t cover the entire cost, they may cover the emergency exam or 50% - 80% of the necessary restorative care. If you’d like to get more familiar with your benefits, you have a few options, starting with reading through the fine print on your plan and extending to asking our team for help! Since we’re in-network with most PPO plans, we make it easy to understand your coverage and utilize it to the fullest.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, and the thought of paying for the entire cost of your treatment at once is overwhelming, don’t worry – that’s where flexible financing comes in. We’re proud to welcome payment plans with both CareCredit and Lending Point. That way, you can break down the price into smaller, monthly chunks that work with your budget. Plus, we offer periodic specials that can help make the price of your emergency dental care more affordable too!
Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Since a solid oral hygiene regimen can help keep your teeth healthy, a solid oral hygiene regimen can help save you money too! That’s just one of many reasons why we encourage our patients to take proactive measures to keep their smile decay and infection-free. That includes brushing and flossing consistently, not consuming sugar in excess, and visiting us every six months for a checkup and cleaning (or sooner if any abnormal dental symptoms arise).
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
As you know, it’s much easier (and less costly) to prevent a dental injury rather than treat an existing one. That’s why we do our best to provide our patients with the tools they need to keep their teeth strong and their gums healthy in between their biannual visits to our office. With this in mind, keep reading to learn a few ways you can dramatically reduce your chances of needing emergency dental care.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Patients often think that their six-month dental checkups and cleanings are optional. They aren’t. After all, our Schoharie dental team covers a lot of ground during these appointments – from clearing away built-up plaque to conducting an oral cancer screening. Plus, if we detect tooth decay, gum disease, or another dental problem in the early stages, we can intervene right away – before it requires urgent dental care.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home
Of course, it’s equally as important to take good care of your teeth and gums on a daily basis. That really boils down to three things: brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash each evening. We should also mention here that the products you use matter. While a soft-bristled toothbrush can remove away plaque without harming your gums, a hard-bristled toothbrush can result in enamel erosion and gum irritation. If you need any recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask!
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
You may have heard over the years that you should limit your intake of starchy and sugary foods. That’s partly because over-indulging dramatically increases your chances of developing a cavity! For that reason, we encourage our patients to do their best to fill up on nutrient-dense foods, like green beans, eggplants, carrots, and apples. Not only are they delicious, but they give your body the nutrients it needs to fight off infections as well!
Wear a Mouthguard
Whether you are a professional athlete or enjoy playing pickleball with friends for exercise, you need to wear a mouthguard. If you don’t, then your morning on the court, mat, or stage can lead to an afternoon at our dental office. The good news is that we can have a custom one made so it fits comfortably while also providing maximum protection!
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
In short, you should not use your teeth to hold your keys, bite your nails, remove a bottle cap, open plastic wrapping, get into a chip bag, or anything similar. Although it may seem convenient in the moment, all it takes is one time for your teeth to crack under the pressure, warranting an immediate visit to our Schoharie dental office for treatment.
Dental Emergency FAQs
When patients call our Schoharie dental team due to a dental injury, they have all sorts of questions for us. Should I go to the ER? What should I do with my knocked-out tooth? Will my toothache go away on its own? Below, you’ll find the answers to these questions as well as several other popular ones!
Will my toothache go away on its own?
Be honest… Have you been crossing your fingers and hoping that your toothache will go away on its own? If so, we have some bad news for you: decay, infections, and other serious oral health concerns cannot heal without the help of a professional. For that reason, we encourage our patients in Schoharie to schedule an appointment with us the moment any abnormal dental symptoms arise (i.e., pain when biting down, bleeding gums, dental sensitivity). That way, we can conduct an oral exam and intervene with the necessary restorative care early on.
How should I sleep with tooth pain?
Have you noticed that your toothache seems to get worse at night? That’s because the blood rushes to your head when you lay flat, intensifying your discomfort. Propping yourself up on a few pillows before you go to bed can help prevent that from happening. Additionally, we recommend eating soft foods at dinner, sipping on room-temperature water, and taking OTC pain medication as instructed.
Remember, the above list is not recommended for long-term use; only to help you sleep until you can get to our office for an appointment.
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
Only if you are experiencing a potentially life-threatening symptom, like difficulty breathing. If you head to the ER with a “straightforward” dental emergency, like a persistent toothache, they won’t be able to do more than alleviate your discomfort since hospitals don’t typically have a dentist on staff. So, if you’ve knocked-out a tooth, a restoration has come loose, or you’re struggling with considerable dental sensitivity, call our Schoharie dental team instead.
My chipped tooth doesn’t hurt. Do I still need to visit?
Yes, you still need to visit us if your tooth is chipped but doesn’t hurt. After all, this dental injury can’t heal on its own, the tooth can break further, and an infection can develop! So, make sure to schedule an appointment within a day or two.
Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?
If one of your teeth gets knocked-out, you need to schedule an appointment with us within the hour and preserve the root of your tooth in the meantime. Since water can damage the root surface cells, you should submerge your tooth in a container of milk or place it back in its socket.
Can superglue be used to repair broken dentures?
Although superglue is a powerful adhesive that can bond the pieces of your denture back together, you shouldn’t use it. After all, there are toxins in this product that are not safe to ingest! So, for the sake of your oral and overall health, don’t try to repair a broken restoration with household products like this.