Emergency Dentist Corinth

Same-Day Attention When You’re in Need

Dental emergencies always seem to happen at the least convenient times, and they often result in pain and discomfort that can put the rest of your day on hold. Our team at Loretto Family Dentistry offers same-day appointments for dental emergencies to ensure that you get the fast and effective pain relief you need to carry on with your life. Call us as soon as possible if you’re experiencing a toothache, dental damage, or any other out-of-the-ordinary oral health concerns so our Corinth emergency dentist can help!

Why Choose Loretto Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Appointments for Dental Emergencies
  • Advanced Diagnostic Dental Technology
  • We Accept & Maximize Dental Insurance

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man holding his cheek in pain while visiting emergency dentist in Corinth
  • Call Us: We advise you to call our dental office if you’re experiencing any oral health issues that you feel may require urgent attention. We can provide you with over-the-phone, first-aid guidance and schedule an appointment for you as soon as possible.
  • Get Examined: As soon as you arrive at our office, our team will take diagnostic images and conduct a thorough examination of your teeth and gums to diagnose the problem at hand.
  • Plan Treatment: Once we’ve diagnosed the source of your pain or symptoms, Dr. Mackie will create a treatment plan to address it and restore the health and comfort of your grin.
  • Get Treated: Our team will answer any questions you have to make sure you’re able to make an informed decision on whether to move forward with our recommended treatment plan. Once you consent, we’ll jump into action!

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies come in every shape and size, which is why it can sometimes be difficult to tell whether you require same-day care or not. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common issues that we treat to help you determine whether you need to give us a call.

Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry

Couple smiling while talking to dental assistant in lobby

Dental injuries can happen suddenly and unexpectedly. As a result, many patients have a lot of questions about their care, including how much it costs. Rest assured, our team at Loretto Family Dentistry will provide you with an estimate of the price once we assess the severity of the damage and discuss your treatment options. Until then, you can read on to learn more, starting with a few factors that play a role in the cost of emergency dentistry in Corinth.

Every Dental Emergency is Different. This Is Why!

Man smiling at reflection in handheld mirror

The reason we can’t provide you with an estimate of the cost online is simple: no two situations are exactly the same! During your emergency exam, we will determine the type of dental injury you’ve sustained, assess the severity of the damage, and share how we recommend restoring your healthy, pain-free smile. Then, we will create your custom treatment plan, provide you with an estimate of the price, and discuss the different financial solutions that are available.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Patient reviewing dental insurance paperwork

Fortunately, many dental insurance companies cover a portion of the cost of restorative treatments, like tooth-colored fillings. So, if you are insured, you may not have to pay for your care completely out-of-pocket. The best thing to do is to provide us with your membership information so we can take a look at the fine print on your plan. Then, we can discuss your coverage and help you utilize your available benefits to the fullest.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Patient filling out paperwork in lobby

If you don’t have dental insurance at the moment, that’s okay – that isn’t the only way to make the cost more affordable. With CareCredit, a trusted third-party financier, you can break up the total price into monthly chunks. For many patients, this is more convenient. Plus, many of the payment plans that are available have little-to-no interest attached, which makes this financial solution good for your wallet in the long run, too!

How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Patient smiling while sitting in treatment chair

Many common dental injuries, including chipped and knocked out teeth, can be prevented with the right best practices in place. A few examples include brushing your teeth twice a day, wearing a mouthguard during sports, and exercising caution with crunchy foods. At the same time, focus on breaking any habits that put your smile in harm’s way, like chewing on ice cubes or using tobacco products. Together, this will help keep your teeth and gums healthy while also protecting your wallet from an unexpected bill!

Important reminder: You need to schedule a dental checkup and cleaning every six months, even if you aren’t experiencing anything unusual, like pain when biting down. This is important because routine visits ensure that built-up plaque is removed and that any oral health problems that do develop are caught in the early stages.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Woman smiling while working on laptop at home

It’s no secret that dental injuries can be painful and stressful, even with a great dental team in your corner. The good news is that many of them are largely preventable, including knocked-out teeth. That’s why we recommend taking the following steps:

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Patient with black glasses smiling in treatment chair

One of the best ways to prevent dental emergencies in Corinth is to come to our office every six months for a checkup and cleaning. These routine visits are crucial for several reasons, starting with the fact that they allow us to periodically look for tooth decay, gum disease, and other common oral health problems. They also ensure that our dental hygienists can remove plaque and tartar that your toothbrush and floss left behind.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home

Man in white shirt smiling while brushing teeth

Taking good care of your smile on a daily basis is important as well! We recommend using a soft-bristle toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste to brush your teeth each morning and evening (and for two full minutes each time). Additionally, you should floss, clean the surface of your tongue, and rinse with mouthwash at least once a day.

Stick to a Nutritious Diet

Woman smiling while eating lunch at home

Your body needs essential vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to thrive. That’s why it’s so important to eat healthy, well-balanced meals! We recommend filling your plate with smile-friendly foods, like cottage cheese, plain yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and bananas. At the same time, do your best to limit your intake of ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, and other cavity-causing foods.

Bonus tip: Drink lots of water throughout the day! This will help you stay hydrated, remove food particles from your teeth, and prevent dry mouth.

Wear a Mouthguard When You’re Active

Senior man smiling on hiking trail

Do you enjoy starting your morning with a run? Maybe you prefer to stay active by lifting weights, playing pickleball, or going hiking with your friends. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to protect your teeth and gums in the process. The best way to do that is with a mouthguard! Our team at Loretto Family Dentistry can have a custom one made for you to ensure that it fits comfortably, is the appropriate thickness, and protects your smile.

Break Harmful Habits

Closeup of patient breaking cigarette

Of course, keeping your smile happy and healthy also comes down to what you should NOT do. A few examples include chewing on ice cubes, biting your nails, and using tobacco products. You also shouldn’t use your teeth as tools, whether it’s to tear open plastic wrapping or remove a bottle cap.

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Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Toothaches should definitely be monitored closely. If they last for more than a few hours, your symptoms are getting worse, or there is a pimple-like bump on your gums, then you should contact our Corinth dental team immediately to schedule an emergency exam.

How You Should Handle a Toothache In addition to eating soft foods and avoiding crunchy ones, we recommend rinsing periodically with warm saltwater and taking OTC pain medication as directed. If you can’t come in for a same-day visit, then keep your head elevated while you sleep (this will help prevent blood from rushing to your head, exacerbating your symptoms in the process).

How We Treat Toothaches If your toothache is stemming from a cavity, we can usually restore your pain-free smile with a tooth-colored filling or dental crown. There are some cases where the root of the problem is actually an infection, which requires more extensive care. Rest assured, we will review all of your treatment options, share our recommendations, and answer any questions you have.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? There are some cases where the answer is “yes,” like if you’re in pain. That said, a chipped tooth doesn’t usually require a same-day visit; you should be safe to schedule an appointment at our Corinth dental office before the end of the week.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth The first step is calling us to schedule an appointment. Even if you don’t need same-day care, we do need to make sure that the tooth isn’t at-risk of breaking further. Outside of that, avoid doing anything that has the potential to make the situation worse, like eating something crunchy or touching the tooth with your finger.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Since veneers can address several imperfections, they are custom-made for each patient, and they can last for 10+ years with proper care, veneers are a great option for patients who have chipped a tooth! That said, we will review all of your treatment options at your emergency exam to help you decide what’s best for your smile.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VENEERS

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, absolutely! Not only do we want to alleviate any pain you’re experiencing quickly, but we also want to intervene with the necessary restorative care before an infection develops, the crack gets larger, or the tooth breaks to the point where it has to be extracted.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth It goes without saying that calling us to schedule an emergency visit is a top priority. We also recommend gently rinsing your mouth with clean, room-temperature water and not chewing on that side of your mouth, especially hard pretzels, popcorn, and other crunchy foods.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth If the crack is so severe that your tooth cannot be saved, then we will need to extract it and review your tooth-replacement options. Fortunately, that’s pretty rare. In most cases, we can protect the damaged tooth with a custom-made dental crown.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are very sensitive teeth a dental emergency? Yes, you’ll want to see a member of our team for an emergency visit should you notice that your teeth are highly sensitive.

How you should handle very sensitive teeth: Eating or drinking anything hot, cold, or acidic should be avoided while waiting for your dental appointment. Added pressure or anything that will cause the nerves of your tooth or teeth to feel pain is to be avoided.

How we treat very sensitive teeth: Since sensitivity can arise for various reasons: a cracked tooth, a cavity, gum recession, an infection (abscess), excess whitening, or even aggressive brushing, we will need to identify the cause before administering treatment. Once we determine how best to move forward, we will provide either prescription antibiotics, prescription mouthwash, desensitizing toothpaste, tooth-colored fillings, periodontal therapy, root canal therapy, or even tooth extraction.

Learn More About Fluoride Treatment

Learn More About Periodontal Therapy

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is my knocked-out tooth a dental emergency? Yes, you should waste no time in seeking professional help for a lost tooth in Corinth.

How you should handle a knocked-out tooth: Time is of the essence when dealing with a knocked-out tooth. It’s best to retrieve it and attempt to reinsert it into the vacant socket within five minutes. This will help keep it moist. If you cannot, place it in a container of milk and call our office right away. You should plan to be at our dental practice within 1-2 hours if reintegration is to be achieved.

How we treat knocked-out teeth: If you arrive at our office within 1-2 hours of the incident, we may be able to reattach the tooth so that it reintegrates with the surrounding bone. However, discussions for tooth replacement will be necessary if the tooth is too badly damaged or is unable to be reintegrated.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a lost filling or crown a dental emergency? You should expect to call and schedule an appointment with your emergency dentist in Corinth if you have a lost dental crown or filling. Although you may not need to see them the same day as when your restoration fell out, you will not want to wait more than a few days, as infection or damage could occur.

How you should handle a lost filling or crown: Avoid prodding the area with your tongue or finger and be careful when brushing and flossing around this area of your mouth. It’s likely the tooth will be sensitive, so stay away from cold, hot, or acidic foods and beverages. If necessary, you can try to reattach (temporarily) your dental crown using dental cement; however, do not feel obligated if you’re not comfortable doing so.

How we treat a lost filling or crown: In most cases, we’ll either need to re-bond the existing filling or crown in place or have new ones created. Based on the status of the filling or crown that fell out, we may be able to recement it. However, if it is lost or too badly damaged, we’ll have a new tooth-colored filling or metal-free crown put into place.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Learn More About Metal-Free Dental Crowns

Broken Denture

  • Is a broken denture a dental emergency? While you might not require same day care the same way you would for other dental emergencies, it’s still best to fix a broken denture as soon as possible. Give us a call so we can repair your dentures safely and professionally!
  • How to handle a broken denture: Do not try to fix your dentures yourself! Oftentimes, DIY repairs make things worse, not better. You should also avoid putting your dentures back in your mouth until we can determine whether it’s safe for you to do so.
  • How we treat broken dentures: Depending on the severity of the damage, we can either repair your dentures with a composite resin or provide you with a replacement.

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

  • Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Yes! A loose permanent tooth can become more and more wiggly if not addressed quickly, so we consider this to be a dental emergency.
  • How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: This will be the one situation where we recommend not brushing or flossing! Avoid touching your loose tooth in any way, and be extra careful not to chew with that side of your mouth.
  • How we treat loose permanent teeth: In some cases, we can treat a loose permanent tooth with a dental splint. In others, the tooth cannot be salvaged, and we have to perform an extraction. Rest assured, we’ll do everything possible to try and save your tooth!

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

  • Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? They can be. If you have minor bleeding, we can help treat your injury. However, if bleeding continues after 10 minutes of applying pressure to the wound, visit an ER instead!
  • How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: First, clean the area by gently rinsing it with warm water. Then use gauze, a soft cloth, or bandage to keep the wound from being exposed. Take OTC pain relievers as necessary to relieve discomfort.
  • How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: Like many doctors, we can stitch minor wounds closed with sutures.

Jaw Pain

  • Is jaw pain a dental emergency? You most likely won’t require urgent care for an aching jaw, but we do consider this symptom to be worthy of attention. Chronic jaw pain can be related to many different issues and become worse if the underlying problem isn’t treated.
  • How you should handle jaw pain: Broken or dislocated jawbones warrant a trip to the ER. For less serious jaw pain, we recommend taking OTC pain relievers and applying a cold compress to the area. When you call our office, we can give you more specific guidance over the phone.
  • How we treat jaw pain: If your jaw hurts because you grind your teeth at night, we can alleviate your discomfort with a custom nightguard. If you have a TMJ disorder, treatments like an occlusal adjustment or an occlusal splint will likely be more effective.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About TMJ Therapy

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

This is rarely an urgent issue – unless the object stuck between your teeth is sharp or otherwise hazardous. When you call our office, try to describe the situation in as much detail as possible so we can help you determine the next best steps. We might recommend swishing warm water around your mouth to dislodge the debris or carefully using floss to pull it out. If all else fails, we’ll schedule you for the earliest available appointment and take care of your teeth!