Emergency Dentist — Sparta, NJ

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

• Get your same-day appointment scheduled: When you call our practice, we will work hard to get you scheduled for an appointment the same day. We also offer office hours during the morning, evening, and on certain Saturdays, so don’t hesitate to call as we are more than likely available to speak with you. Ahead of your appointment, we can also give first-aid tips over the phone.
• Completing your emergency exam: Once you arrive, one of our dentists will bring you to an operatory and begin an emergency exam. This may involve capturing X-rays if needed to locate the source and extent of your emergency. We’ll do whatever we can to ease your discomfort along the way.
• Reviewing our findings: After your exam is complete, our team should have a clearer picture of your condition and a customized treatment plan in mind. Before we begin any step of your plan, we’ll make sure you understand the costs and timeline associated with it.
• Get the care you need: Whatever your dental problems may be, we’ll make sure to get you taken care of as quickly as we can and get your oral health back to normal. This could be done through dental fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, tooth extractions, or another service deemed appropriate.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Whether your dental emergency is due to an infection, an accident while playing sports, or a car wreck, you should immediately reach out for professional help. You likely won’t be able to completely solve the problem on your own, and waiting will only allow damage and pain to become worse. Between the time you call and when you step through our doors, here are a few ways to improve your situation during an emergency.

Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry

Naturally, because every dental emergency is unique, the amount you’ll have to pay for your care can vary quite a bit from case to case. You can trust our team to be up front with any costs so that there aren’t any unwelcome surprises in the middle of your treatment. And if you’re not sure how you’re going to fit emergency dentistry into your budget, we will gladly review the available payment options with you.

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Every Dental Emergency is Different

Some emergency patients just need minor treatment like a filling. Others need more advanced forms of care like root canal therapy or tooth extractions. All of these services carry a different price, and as such it’s impossible for us to give you an estimate of how much you’ll pay for emergency dentistry until we’ve completed an exam and figured out what your smile needs. When we’re recommending treatments to stop your pain and restore your damaged teeth, we’ll carefully go over pricing information to help you make a decision.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Dental insurance is mainly meant to help you pay for regular preventive care, but it also typically provides some level of emergency coverage. You can expect many dental plans to pay for one emergency exam for year and provide anywhere between 50% to 80% coverage for the restorative treatments that are typically performed to treat toothaches, broken teeth, and other emergencies. Bear in mind that most plans also have yearly maximums and deductibles that affect how much coverage you can receive. Talk to your insurance company to confirm what benefits you currently have before committing to any treatment.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

We’re in-network with Cigna and accept a number of other dental plans, but if you don’t have insurance at all, we can recommend other ways to help pay for your treatment. For example, you can sign up for our in-house membership program, which lets you enjoy discounts on numerous services in exchange for a low annual fee. You can also apply for CareCredit, a third-party financing company that lets you pay for your care in a series of monthly installments so that it doesn’t put too much strain on your budget.

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

The absolute best way to save money on emergency care is to make sure you never have an emergency. Obviously, you can’t predict or prevent every accident that could knock out a tooth, but you can take basic steps to protect your smile such as daily brushing and wearing a mouthguard. Doing so could help you avoid dental problems that could have cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to treat. If you do end up suffering from dental pain or damage, have it treated as soon as possible. Even if you’re worried about the cost, delaying treatment just makes it more likely that you’ll need to have an even more expensive procedure done later.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

The fact of the matter is most dental emergencies are actually quite preventable when you keep a few simple steps in mind. If you want you and your family to avoid the most common dental emergencies, give the following tips a look for yourself. While some steps are relatively straightforward, others may not have been something you would have thought about before. With that said, we encourage you to ask our dentists and team members at Gentle Dentistry Sparta questions if you need additional guidance.

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Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Get regular dental checkups at least once every six months. This kind of ongoing care will prevent hidden, underlying dental problems from turning into big emergencies later. Not only can our office discover smaller issues that the naked eye often misses, but we can make sure that your at-home oral hygiene is doing enough to keep dental disease at bay. Keep in mind that those with existing gum problems may need to come in more frequently, or every 3 to 4 months.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits at Home

Brush and floss daily to remove excess plaque buildup and bacteria from the teeth and gums. The single most common cause of dental emergencies is poor oral hygiene. As a result, plaque erodes teeth, causing cavities and eventually tooth pain. Gum disease remains the single most common cause of tooth loss in adults. By brushing twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and flossing daily, you prevent these problems before they develop.

Stick to a Consistent, Nutritious Diet

Your at-home oral hygiene matters, but so does your diet. The more sugars and starches you eat throughout the day, the easier it is for plaque to create acids that harm teeth and irritate the gums. Do your best to include a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet as well, especially those that contain high amounts of Vitamin A, zinc, Vitamin C, calcium, and phosphorus.

Wear a Mouthguard to Prevent Damage

Wearing a protective mouthguard when playing sports, no matter someone’s age, ability, or chosen game, is crucial to preventing dental emergencies that can occur as a result of physical injury. In fact, they are currently one of the most common causes of dental emergencies to date outside of tooth decay. While store-bought solutions can be cheap and accessible, they don’t offer the best protection. We suggest choosing a custom-made mouthguard provided by our office for better comfort, longevity, and most importantly, protection. The same applies to nightguards for those who grind and clench their teeth at night.

Break Bad Habits and Use the Right Tool

Avoid chewing on extremely hard items that can wear down the teeth. These can easily cause a tooth to crack or chip under the pressure. Examples include ice, popcorn kernels, pens, pencils, and fingernails. Instead, use the right tool for the task at hand, such as nail clippers to trim your fingernails or a pair of scissors or box cutter to open a package. While it might seem faster to use your teeth, it’s not worth the risk you put your enamel in.

Dental Emergency FAQ’s 

We hope you choose us as your go-to emergency dentist in Sparta. However, before you save our number in your phone, you may want to know more about emergency dentistry and how we approach it. That is why we have compiled the following list of frequently asked questions. If you do not see the information you were hoping for, you are welcome to contact us directly so we can personally satisfy your curiosity.

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How long can I wait before I receive treatment?

With some types of dental emergencies, you can safely wait one or a few days before you receive treatment. In other cases, such as if you have a knocked-out tooth, immediate treatment is necessary if you want to have the best possible outcome for your dental health. Regardless of what type of emergency you experience, you should call us right away. Our expert team will give you guidance on what your next steps should be.

When should I visit the ER instead of the dentist?

In some instances, medical professionals in a hospital emergency room are the best people to render initial treatment for a dental emergency. For example, if you are bleeding uncontrollably or have broken facial bones, you should head to the local ER. Then, get in touch with us to schedule a follow-up appointment so we can assess how your injury impacted your oral health.

How will you make me comfortable during my emergency appointment?

Patient comfort is one of our top priorities. When you arrive for your emergency appointment, you will receive a warm welcome before we escort you to a treatment room. We’ll quickly and gently assess your oral health problem. Anesthesia and nitrous oxide sedation are available to make sure you remain comfortable and relaxed during your procedure. The friendly nature of our dentists and our team will further help you to feel at ease.

What if I experience a dental emergency while traveling?

If it will be several days or longer before you return home, do not wait to see a dentist. Do an online search to find dentists near you who offer emergency treatment. Be sure to pay attention to their reviews so you can be confident that your oral health is in good hands. Ask if they are in your insurance’s network or if they are willing to file claims with insurance companies whom they are not in-network with. Also, call us to let us know what happened. When you get back to Sparta, visit us for follow-up care.

How long does it take to recover from a dental emergency?

Our team will address the source of the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. After your appointment, you may experience some soreness in your mouth. Depending on the nature of the issue and the treatment, you may be completely pain-free in a few days to a week. In many cases, multiple appointments are necessary to finish treatment for a dental emergency (for example, many patients require a new crown, which is a multi-appointment procedure).