Emergency Dentist — Greenfield, MA
Here For You When You Need Us Most
If you break an arm, you will likely know just what to do – call emergency services or head into your nearest emergency room. If you break your tooth, you may hesitate. If you’re a Greenfield resident, the BGH Dental team is here to help. We are happy to offer same day urgent care appointments for patients experiencing dental emergencies. Whatever emergency dental situation you’re experiencing, call our Greenfield dental office right away. One of our knowledgeable dental team members will walk you through first aid over the phone and help you manage your discomfort until you can get to our office. We’re here for you when you need us most, so don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Why Choose BGH Dental for Emergency Dental Care?
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments Available
- Team of Experienced Dentists Dedicated to Your Comfort
- Dental Insurance Welcome & In-House Savings Available
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
- Step 1: Call our office right away: We do everything we can to schedule emergency patients for same-day appointments, so don’t hesitate to give us a call! When you call us experiencing a dental emergency, we will walk you through first aid and pain management steps to keep you safe and comfortable until you reach our office.
- Step 2: See your Greenfield emergency dentist. When you arrive, your Greenfield emergency dentist will see you right away for evaluation and pain relief. Next, they’ll review their findings with you and fully explain your treatment options. Together, you’ll choose the best way to move forward and restore your oral health.
- Step 3: Get the fast, professional care you need. As soon as you’ve made a treatment plan, our team will jump into action. Whether you need a filling, dental crown, root canal therapy, or something else entirely, your comfort will be our top priority as we protect your teeth and repair your smile.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in wide variety, but a good rule of thumb to go by is if you are in pain, your teeth are damaged, or you’re experiencing any unusual or worrisome symptoms, you should call us right away. Even if we determine you don’t need to see us urgently, it’s always best to get started repairing dental damage as soon as possible. Some of the situations we treat on an emergency basis include:
Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies
We’ll need to perform an exam to confirm the type and severity of dental emergency you’re having before we can provide an estimate of your costs. Once we have, it will be much easier to know exactly what you can expect to pay following your treatment. Our team will make sure you are fully informed of the costs of your care beforehand and will try to make it as affordable as possible. Thankfully, dental emergencies generally don’t carry the same costs as medical ones in most cases.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
Predicting the cost of a dental emergency without performing a comprehensive exam is essentially impossible, which is why visiting our office is so important in the first place. Doing this allows us to confirm the exact cause of your emergency and determine which treatment will best resolve it. For example, some emergencies are relatively cheap to fix, such as placing a dental filling or writing a prescription. In other cases, more complex and expensive services are needed, such as root canal therapy or personalized crowns. No matter what your care costs, we’ll review all your options and their distinctive price tags before doing anything else.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
In most cases, dental insurance plans take on similar structures no matter which provider you choose. For example, they generally provide at least one emergency dental exam per year. They may also cover services at certain percentages (which can fall anywhere between 80% and 50%), such as dental crowns or root canal therapy. However, yearly maximums may come into effect, so you’ll need to confirm the details of these stipulations with your insurance company. If you need help, our team can be of assistance as well.
Keep in mind that preventive dental care (i.e. checkups and cleanings) are covered 100% (or close to it) by most dental insurance plans. They also work to reduce your risk of a dental emergency, so make the most of them while you can!
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Even if you don’t have dental insurance at this time, there are other ways you can make your necessary care more affordable. For example, we often recommend enrolling into a CareCredit plan so you can make monthly installments on care. In many cases, these plans come with little to no interest attached. Alternatively, our in-house membership plan can make your dental care easier to cover overall, allowing you to put more funds towards handling emergencies.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
It’s true that some dental emergencies are truly unavoidable (i.e. a sudden bad fall). The good news is most of them are relatively easy to prevent, especially tooth decay and gum disease. This is done not just by brushing and flossing at home, but maintaining routine dental exams and cleanings. Doing so can help you save hundreds of dollars a year and a whole lot of time in the dental chair. Additionally, visiting our office the moment you notice something is wrong, rather than putting it off, ensures our office can get you started on a treatment plan sooner, prevent your condition from worsening, and help you save money.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Not all dental emergencies are preventable, including sudden bad falls or other physical trauma that occurs off a playing field. However, you can reduce your risk for most emergencies by keeping a few proactive tips in mind. Not only does this include at-home oral hygiene, but it also means avoiding habits that can easily damage your teeth, gums, and other oral structures. If you have questions about day-to-day care, please let us know during your next appointment.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Coming to our office at least twice a year is one of the most effective ways you can prevent dental emergencies from occurring because you’re giving our office a chance to confirm if any problems are present without your knowledge. Both tooth decay and gum disease can develop without any symptoms at all, so you’ll want a professional pair of eyes to look inside your mouth and clean away any harmful plaque and tartar along the way.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits at Home
Brushing and flossing every day is one of the most essential habits you can maintain for your oral health. Doing so keeps plaque production low and prevents oral bacteria from consuming loose food debris stuck in between your teeth and throughout your mouth. Brush at least twice a day and floss daily to keep your mouth clean and lower your risk of cavities and gum disease. Consider adding an oral rinse to your routine as well for an especially thorough regimen.
Watch What You Eat
The foods you eat have a larger impact on your oral health than you may realize. For example, did you know that consuming foods high in sugar and starch make it much easier for bacteria to produce plaque acids that contribute to dental disease? To keep your smile protected, be sure to consume fruits, vegetables, dairy products, whole grains, and other healthy options regularly. This ensures your mouth gets the healthy nutrients it needs.
Wear a Mouthguard
Mouthguards are necessary if you fall into one of two categories; either you play contact sports regularly or you have an unconscious teeth grinding habit. Both put you at greater risk of cracking or chipping a tooth, which are considered dental emergencies in most cases. We recommend opting for a professional-grade appliance from a dentist as they offer better protection, longevity and comfort compared to mass-produced ones found in stores.
Use Tools, Not Teeth to Open Packaging
Under no circumstances should you use your teeth for performing tasks better suited for a dedicated tool. For example, if you need to open packaging of some kind, use a pair of scissors or box cutter. Using your teeth can cause them to crack and chip quite easily. Furthermore, if you have any other bad habits that involve your teeth (i.e. nail-biting, chewing on inedible objects while focusing on a task, etc.) find a replacement habit that won’t hurt your enamel. Avoid very tough foods as well, such as hard candy and ice cubes.
Dental Emergency FAQ’s
When a dental emergency occurs, the last thing you should feel the need to do is panic. Of course, we understand that most people have probably never experienced a dental emergency in their lifetime. Over the years, we’ve gotten many questions from patients and family members of patients alike on dental emergencies and services related to common emergencies. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, do not hesitate to give us a call. However, if you have a question, we encourage you to take a look at the many questions we’ve received at BGH Dental, as well as our detailed answers!
SHOULD I GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR A DENTAL EMERGENCY?
In most cases, an emergency room won’t be able to help you because, due to legal constraints, only dentists can provide dental care to patients. If you visit the emergency room and you tell them that you have tooth pain or even a knocked-out tooth, the most they will likely give you is a painkiller and cold compress to reduce swelling. Considering how expensive emergency room visits can get, it’s best to only go if you experience severe oral bleeding or you have a broken jaw.
CAN YOU SAVE MY KNOCKED-OUT TOOTH?
It depends. While we encourage you to place the tooth back into your open socket (or a container of milk) to keep it preserved, this will only work for up to one hour. The sooner you get to our office, the better your chances are of getting the tooth reimplanted. Furthermore, you should never remove tissue that may still be attached to the tooth, nor should you touch the root (pointed) end of the tooth. Only pick it up by the crown.
IF I CRACK A TOOTH, DOES IT HAVE TO BE EXTRACTED?
If a tooth cracks and the crack extends beneath the gum line, that implies that damaged to the root has already occurred. At that point, you will likely need a root canal to save the tooth. However, if the damage is too serious, we may need to extract it in order to prevent complications with your neighboring teeth and gum tissue. We’re happy to offer multiple tooth replacement options if needed.
WHAT CAN I DO FOR TOOTH PAIN?
In most cases, we recommend an over-the-counter painkiller that specifically targets inflammation. This includes ibuprofen or acetaminophen, both of which can relieve tooth pain quite well. We do not recommend aspirin for most patients because it can cause a burning sensation if it comes into direct contact with your tooth or the gum tissue surrounding the tooth. When you visit, we’ll do everything possible to get you out of pain before you leave.
DO I HAVE TO VISIT FOR A DENTAL EMERGENCY?
While we can’t force anyone to visit our office, we do not recommend waiting out your dental emergency and assuming things will get better on their own. A serious dental issue, whether it be tooth decay, gum disease, an oral infection, a sporting injury or something else, does not resolve itself. In fact, waiting to schedule an emergency visit can increase the chances of your condition worsening. With that said, our office is more than happy to accommodate you and get you on the right path towards treatment as soon as possible.
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