Emergency Dentist – Mount Pleasant, SC
Fast Dental Care When You Need It Most
No one expects to encounter a dental emergency, but studies indicate that millions of Americans seek emergency care for their smiles every year. If you or a loved one experiences a painful, knocked-out, or broken tooth, you must have an emergency dentist in Mount Pleasant, SC who you can trust. At Smile Carolina Dental Group, we are ready and waiting to provide fast dental care when you need it most, so you can get back to enjoying a happy, healthy smile. Read on to learn more about dental emergencies and give us a call immediately if you need urgent assistance.
Why Choose Smile Carolina Dental Group for Emergency Dentistry?
- Team of Experienced Doctors Focused on Your Comfort
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments for Patients in Pain
- Dental Insurance Welcome & Flexible Financing Available
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
We hope that you never experience a dental emergency, but if you do, it is important to keep calm and follow these steps:
- Step 1: Call Us Right Away – We do everything we can to see emergency patients the same day they call, so do not hesitate to get in touch with us as soon as you can.
- Step 2: Receive Personalized First Aid Instructions – Over the phone, one of our experienced team members will walk you through what to do to manage your situation until you reach us.
- Step 3: Get an Emergency Dental Exam – When you arrive, your Mount Pleasant emergency dentist, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, will see you right away to evaluate your emergency and relieve any pain you may be in.
- Step 4: Review the Findings & Create a Plan – Once we have reviewed the findings with you, we will fully explain all your treatment options and work with you to put together a custom treatment plan.
- Step 5: Get the Fast, Professional Care You Need – Our team is ready and well-equipped to handle all manner of dental emergencies, so whether you need gum disease treatment, root canal therapy, or tooth extraction, we will begin repairing your smile as quickly as possible.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in all shapes and sizes, and not all are easy to identify. If you are experiencing any sort of pain, damage, discomfort, or worrying symptom in your mouth, we encourage you to call us right away so we can help you determine what to do next. For your convenience, we have gathered some important information about the most common dental emergencies we treat below and what you can do to handle them until your appointment.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
If your tooth suddenly gets knocked out, probably the last thing on your mind is how much it will cost to fix your smile. Regardless, you can rest assured that at Smile Carolina Dental Group, we’ll take special care to ensure you receive the emergency treatment that fits within your budget. Our team will also help you navigate your insurance benefits and understand various payment options. Keep reading below to learn more about what to expect when it comes to the cost of emergency dentistry in Mount Pleasant.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
An emergency appointment alone is relatively inexpensive. During this visit, your dentist will assess your teeth and mouth to determine what treatment is needed. Because every emergency situation is unique, it’s basically impossible to predict final costs until after we see you. Common solutions to dental emergencies include:
- Root canal therapy
- Extractions
- Dental crowns
- TMJ treatment
- And more!
Before moving forward with any of these or other solutions, we will share our findings, explain the recommended treatment plan, and provide an accurate cost estimate so you know exactly what to expect.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
While every dental insurance plan is slightly different, most provide some form of coverage for dental emergencies. At least one annual emergency exam may be fully covered under some plans. In addition, many common services associated with hurting teeth – like root canal therapy, extractions, etc. – usually receive partial coverage between 50% to 80%. However, no two insurance plans are exactly alike and yearly maximums usually come into effect. For these reasons, you should confirm with your insurance company before committing to treatment. Our team will be happy to help you understand and maximize your dental insurance benefits.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Eligible patients can also take advantage of flexible financing through CareCredit to help manage the cost of emergency dentistry in Mount Pleasant. With CareCredit, you can choose a plan that will break up treatment costs into smaller monthly payments that will fit well within your budget. With a CareCredit plan, you won’t have to worry about upfront costs, annual fees, or prepayment penalties. They offer a variety of plans that range from 6-60 months, so you will always be able to find one that will work for you.
If you need urgent dental care, do not hesitate to contact Smile Carolina Dental Group. Our dedicated team will see you as soon as possible and help you navigate the cost of emergency treatment.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Some dental emergencies are unavoidable accidents that happen when you least expect them. However, many emergencies occur due to unchecked infection and damage. You can potentially save yourself thousands of dollars over the years simply by practicing good oral hygiene at home and visiting a dentist regularly.
It’s also important not to ignore dental pain, as the cost of treating a problem will only grow larger the longer you wait. Unlike a scrape or bruise, dental problems typically do not disappear on their own. Visiting an emergency dentist in Mount Pleasant right away could mean the difference between tooth-saving root canal therapy versus extracting and replacing a tooth with dental implants!
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
While dental emergencies can never be completely avoided, it is always better to prevent one from happening before it even occurs. By taking a few easy steps, you can lower your risk of urgent dental situations, and save yourself some time and money down the road. Read on to learn how you can prevent dental emergencies in Mount Pleasant.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
By seeing us at least twice a year for routine checkups and cleanings, we can catch dental issues before they become serious, helping you avoid dental pain or emergency. For example, a simple cavity that needs a dental filling could turn into a painful root canal or worse if it is not addressed sooner rather than later. Also, the cleaning portion of your regular dental visits gives our skilled hygienists the chance to remove tough plaque and tartar buildup that can eventually weaken and decay teeth.
Maintain Good At-Home Oral Hygiene
Regular dental visits are imperative; however, it is up to you to take care of your smile on a day-to-day basis. Brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes each session. Pay close attention to your gumline, angling your brush at 45 degrees for the most effective cleaning. Additionally, do not forget to floss once a day to remove food debris and bacteria from between your teeth. For an extra layer of cleaning, you can add a mouthwash to your routine. Just make sure that it does not contain alcohol, as it dries the mouth out, which promotes bacterial growth that can increase the risk of a visit to the emergency dental office in Mount Pleasant.
Eat a Nutritious Diet
The health of your smile is also influenced by the foods you eat. Extra hard, acidic, or sugary foods will eventually decay and weaken your grin, leading to dental issues like chipped, cracked, or broken teeth. It is okay to indulge every once in a while; however, you should eat a healthy diet of fruits, veggies, and calcium-rich items instead. Fruits and vegetables act as natural toothbrushes that scrub teeth while stimulating saliva flow, and foods with calcium and vitamin D will keep your smile and jaw strong.
Wear a Mouthguard
Sports and physical activity cause a high number of dental emergencies each year. To reduce this risk, always wear a mouthguard during any type of physical activity. Our mouthguards are longer lasting and more comfortable compared to store-bought products. Additionally, we recommend wearing a nightguard if you suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding). This will protect you from unnecessary wear and tear that weakens the smile.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
Avoid bad habits like opening packages or bottles with your teeth – this is a quick way to give yourself a broken or cracked tooth. If you are someone who needs things opened quickly, try keeping scissors or a bottle opener nearby. As an easy rule of thumb, do not use your teeth for anything other than eating, speaking, and smiling.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is one of the best tools we have to relieve the most severe dental pain. We use them to treat teeth that have suffered damage to their sensitive nerves, and thanks to our in-house endodontist, Dr. Anya Kent, we can promise your root canal will always be the solution to dental pain and never the cause.
Learn More About Root Canal Therapy
Dental Emergency Frequently Asked Questions
In an emergency, you will naturally want to be as prepared as possible. However, dental emergencies can be stressful and scary, which may leave you confused as to how you should handle them. Please call our dental office first thing; that way, a member of our team can schedule your appointment as soon as possible and provide first aid tips in the meantime. Before your visit, it may soothe some of your worries to read some of these frequently asked questions about emergency dentistry.
What Is Causing My Jaw Pain?
Often, frequent jaw pain is the result of bruxism, a condition characterized by chronic teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Bruxism can exert serious pressure on the jaw joints over time and even lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, which damages the joints that connect the jaw to the base of the skull. Jaw pain might also stem from a misaligned bite, an injury to the face or jaw that never healed properly, or even the onset of arthritis.
Once our dentists have had the chance to examine your mouth and determine the cause of your jaw pain, they can come up with a custom treatment plan to relieve your discomfort. For example, bruxism is often treated with a nightguard, which is worn over the teeth to prevent damage from grinding while you sleep.
Will My Toothache Go Away on Its Own?
It depends on the cause of your toothache. Sometimes, it might feel as if your tooth is hurting when the pain is actually emanating from the gum tissue near a tooth. That type of pain usually occurs from irritation, and it can go away after a while.
However, most toothaches do not subside on their own. In fact, they often get worse without treatment, especially if the pain is due to infection. A toothache can develop for many possible reasons, so it is best to contact our dental office and be seen by one of our dentists as soon as you can. That way, we can diagnose and address the specific problem and promptly relieve your pain.
Should I Visit the Emergency Room First for Dental Emergencies?
If you are dealing with a dental emergency in Mount Pleasant, you might be tempted to visit the nearest emergency room, but they are often ill-equipped to treat specific dental issues. After all, very few emergency rooms have a trained dental professional on staff. They might prescribe you painkillers, but only a dentist can target the root of the problem. For this reason, our dental office should be the first place you call when an emergency strikes.
The only exception would be if your emergency also presents immediate, potentially fatal danger. For instance, you should head straight to the ER if you are experiencing deep facial lacerations, severe infection, a broken jawbone, or swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow.
Are Toothpicks Safe to Use?
If there is a piece of food or other debris stuck between your teeth, your first thought might be to dislodge it with a toothpick. Despite their name, though, toothpicks are generally not safe to use. They could all too easily scratch your tooth or gum tissue and worsen any discomfort you are feeling. Wooden toothpicks could break off inside of your mouth. You might even end up swallowing a toothpick, which could be deadly. As a rule, it is best to avoid toothpicks except as a last resort.
