-Emergency Dentistry – Hamden, CT
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When you or a loved one is experiencing severe dental pain or injury, it’s important to be able to rely on a trusted emergency dentist and dental team for support. Our dedicated dental team is here to offer assistance with these pressing concerns and provide relief as soon as possible, so don’t wait to call for emergency dentistry in Hamden!
Why Choose D’Andrea and Pantera Family & Cosmetic Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?
- Weekend appointments for patients in pain
- After-Hours Emergency Contact Available
- Safe, Calming Dental Sedation Options Offered
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
- Give Us a Call: If you’re experiencing out of the ordinary dental symptoms, oral discomfort, or have had an accident that has knocked-out or damaged a tooth, the first step you should take is to call our office. Our team will schedule an appointment, ensuring you receive prompt care.
- Come in for an Examination: When you arrive at our office, we’ll capture any necessary diagnostic images, like X-rays, and one of our experienced dentists will examine your teeth and gums.
- Get Treated: After your examination, your emergency dentist in Hamden will make a diagnosis and a treatment plan to address the issue at hand. In some cases, we may be able to treat the problem the same day, but in others, an additional appointment may be necessary to achieve a permanent solution. Our front desk staff will also provide you with a detailed cost estimate beforehand and answer any questions you may have.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
It can be difficult to know what to do in the event of a dental emergency. In some cases, you may not even realize that the symptoms you are experiencing are in fact urgent. For that reason, we recommend that you give our dental office a call regardless, just to be sure you don’t need to schedule an emergency appointment. In the meantime, there are ways to manage your situation before you arrive and prevent your emergency from getting worse.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
Depending on the type of dental injury you are experiencing, you may pay more or less. That’s why we can’t provide you with an estimate of the cost without completing a comprehensive oral exam. With that said, we will always be upfront with you about the price so you’re not caught off guard by surprise dental expenses. Plus, you can read on to learn more about the cost of emergency dentistry in Hamden, including if dental insurance providers typically cover a portion of it.
Why Every Dental Emergency is Different
In short, while the emergency exam itself is generally not too expensive, some treatments can be more costly than others based on your symptoms. For example, tooth pain could mean a cavity is present and a filling needs to be placed or that a deeper infection has developed and the tooth requires a root canal. After learning about your symptoms, reviewing your latest X-rays, and completing a visual exam, we can pinpoint the root of the problem, discuss your treatment options, and help you decide the best way to proceed.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Many dental plans have a 100-80-50 structure. That means that 100% of the cost of essential preventive care is covered while 80% of the cost of minor restorative services and 50% of the cost of major restorative treatments are covered. Of course, there are also rules and restrictions that need to be considered, including waiting periods, so don’t hesitate to ask us for assistance navigating the ins and outs of your benefits. We’re proud to be in-network with several popular dental insurance providers, including Cigna and Delta Dental, which makes utilizing your coverage quite simple.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Don’t have dental insurance? Don’t let that stand in the way of you getting the dental care you need! Our patients can also make the cost more affordable with:
- Flexible Financing – With third-party financiers, like CareCredit, you can break up the cost of your treatment into smaller, monthly chunks (often with little-to-no interest attached!).
- Bright Smile Club – Joining our in-house membership plan comes with several benefits, including one emergency exam each year.
- Special Offers – Throughout the year, we offer specials so our patients can get the high-quality dentistry they deserve without the high price tag.
How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Remember, many common dental injuries, including chipped, decayed, and cracked teeth, are largely preventable with the right best practices in place. For this reason, we strongly recommend incorporating healthy habits into your routine, like flossing every night before bed, wearing a mouthguard during sports, and visiting us twice a year for a checkup and cleaning. It’s equally important that you get in touch with us if any abnormal symptoms arise, such as pain when biting down. This is crucial because the sooner we can pinpoint the problem, the sooner we can treat it.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
While dental emergencies can’t be entirely avoided, there are steps that patients and their families can take to reduce their risk of experiencing them. If you’re not sure where to begin, don’t worry – this next section is for you! In it, we’re covering a few ways you can protect your smile from harm.
Schedule a Dental Visit Every Six Months
Remember, you shouldn’t wait to schedule an appointment until your teeth are hurting and your gums are bleeding. Instead, you should visit us every six months for a thorough checkup. That way, our doctors can diagnose and treat any oral health concerns that do arise when they’re still relatively minor, saving you from potential emergency situations further down the road.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home
One of the easiest ways to prevent dental emergencies in Hamden is to take good care of your smile at home. The first step? Using a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste to brush your teeth each morning and evening. Make sure to floss and rinse with mouthwash so food particles, plaque, and other debris are cleared away as well.
Exercise Caution with Crunchy Foods
Although delicious, we do recommend limiting your intake of croutons, hard pretzels, and other extremely crunchy foods since they can chip or crack your enamel. Sticky sweets, like taffy, can also pull a restoration out of place and are difficult to remove, so it’s best to avoid those as well. In short, if you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy, it’s best to eat mostly nutrient-dense, well-balanced meals.
Wear a Mouthguard During Sports
Do you enjoy playing soccer, basketball, or football? Maybe you prefer to stay active by running or riding your bike. Whatever the case may be, it’s important that you wear a mouthguard (preferably a customized model from our dental office). That way, your smile is protected if you accidentally fall, someone elbows you in the jaw, or a rogue ball hits you in the face.
Important reminder: You need to wear a nightguard if you grind or clench your teeth while you sleep. If you don’t have one already, schedule an appointment with us so we can have a custom one made for you.
Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools
Although your enamel is strong, it can break with enough pressure. That’s why we advise against using your teeth as tools to remove plastic wrapping. You also shouldn’t use them to hold your keys when your hands are full, trim your nails, or chew on ice cubes. Although habits like these may seem harmless, they can quickly lead to serious dental damage.
Dental Emergency FAQs
Will my toothache go away by itself?
Many people assume that if they give their dental discomfort enough time, it will eventually dissipate like other bodily aches. However, oral issues don’t usually resolve on their own and instead worsen the longer they remain untreated.
There are several potential reasons for a toothache, and some are more serious than others. Thankfully, our team in Hamden has the experience and state-of-the-art technology to examine your mouth to quickly identify the underlying problem and provide a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.
How should I sleep with tooth pain?
You can never anticipate when you might experience a dental emergency, such as a severe or persistent toothache. Unfortunately, some patients have problems in the evening when our practice in Hamden has closed for the day. Although we offer after-hours emergency care by phone and weekend appointments for those in pain, you might still have to cope with it overnight until we open the next day.
If the ache is keeping you awake, you might apply an ice pack to the sore side of your face for 15 minutes to numb the area and help you drift off. Or you might try taking an over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to reduce any swelling and throbbing. Then, contact us in the morning as soon as you’re able, and we’ll make time to see you.
Should I place my knocked-out tooth in water?
Athletes and others who participate in team sports or other close-contact activities are prone to sustaining injuries that can dislodge a tooth, but they aren’t the only ones who might suffer from physical trauma. If you’ve lost a permanent tooth, it’s important to act quickly to save it.
First, find the tooth and only touch the crown (tooth-shaped) portion to avoid damaging still-viable cells on the roots. Then gently rinse it with water, and store it in a container with a small amount of milk or your saliva to preserve it until you arrive at our office.
Should I fix my own dentures?
Dentures are made from durable, lifelike materials that are intended to withstand the pressure of daily biting and chewing, but that doesn’t mean they’re invincible. If your dentures have been chipped, cracked, or broken, you might feel tempted to try to fix them at home with superglue or other household supplies.
But these products are usually not intended for oral use and might be toxic if ingested. Plus, without the right training and materials, you might make matters worse rather than better. Our team offers options to help repair, reline, or replace your damaged dentures so you can once again enjoy a beautifully restored smile.
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