Find an Emergency Dentist
in Washington, DC

When was the last time you had a painful dental emergency during regular office hours and not late at night? Probably never. If you’re here because you’re searching for an emergency dentist in Washington, you’ve found the help you’re looking for. Our 24-hour Washington emergency dentist referral network allows us to book appointments for patients seeking relief in a time frame of as little as 24 hours. Instead of waiting for an appointment with your regular dentist, which could take weeks, call us right now at (855)-352-6790 for quick relief.

What You’ll Need to Bring With You to the Washington Emergency Dentist Appointment

Because emergency dentists operate on a basis much like your regular dentist does, there are a couple of things you’ll need to bring with you. In addition, the emergency dentist will need other information from you, so take the time to gather everything below while you wait for us to call you back with the details of your appointment. Though this may seem like common sense to most, you will need to have an acceptable piece of personal identification, like a driver’s license or a birth certificate, for example, ready to present to the emergency dentist and their team. If you have any recent documentation or general information from a recent trip to your regular dentist, you should be digging that out and have it ready to bring with you. This could be anything from copies of dental x-rays, your patient profile, or even a detailed receipt that outlines the treatments and/or procedures you received will work just fine. We strongly suggest that you make a list of the current medications you’re taking as well as any known allergies you may have for the emergency dentist and their team to refer to. They need to make sure that nothing is given to you during your appointment that will result in an allergic reaction or a negative reaction to your medication. Once we have called you back to give you the details of your appointment, we suggest that you call ahead to either get a quote for your appointment or ask whether or not your current dental coverage, should you have insurance, will be accepted. Doing so ensures that there will be no surprises when it comes time to pay at the end of your appointment. As we mentioned before, emergency dentists run like your regular dentist does, you need to make sure that you give yourself at least 15 minutes to fill out paperwork and ask any questions you may have before your appointment is set to start. It’s very important that you let the emergency dentist and their staff know if you have any fears or concerns whatsoever. They know how to keep their patients relaxed and comfortable, in general, for the entire duration of their appointment, so they can help you.

Same Day Denture Repair in Washington

Problems with your dentures are just as much of a dental emergency as a broken tooth. We can help you with emergency denture repair in Washington as well as same day denture repair in Washington. Your dentures were designed to help you, not hinder you. Due to the fact that we have a number of emergency dentists in our referral network who work with lab technicians specializing in denture creation and repair, we can offer these services to any patient who needs them.

Most Common Dental Emergencies Treated by Emergency Dentists

Dental emergencies don’t care about your schedule and, more often than not, will strike when you need one the least. Thankfully, though, the best way to fight a dental emergency is to be somewhat prepared and know what you can do to help your situation. The most important thing you need to remember, however, is that trauma to the head will always come first. You could have a mouthful of shattered teeth but it won’t matter if you have an untreated concussion.

Knocked Out or Lost Teeth

If you’ve had a tooth knocked out, or lost it some other way, the first thing you need to do is make sure that you’re free and clear of any head trauma. If all else is fine, you can start looking for the tooth you’ve lost. You need to make sure that you don’t pick it up by the root. Doing so can damage it to the point where putting it back into the empty socket will not be possible due to damage from handling the root. Instead, pick it up by the crown and rinse it off with some water. Next, you will need to decide how you are going to preserve the tooth until your emergency dentist Washington appointment. The best preservation method is to try and put the tooth back into the socket yourself until the emergency dentist can permanently put it back, but don’t force it. The next best way to preserve the tooth is to put it in a cup of milk or water. It doesn’t work as well as putting it temporarily back in the socket yourself, but it’s another great preservation method that works.

Abscessed Teeth and Other Forms of Oral Infections

Oral infections, such as an abscessed tooth, for example, are a nasty, time-sensitive dental emergency that can turn into a life-threatening emergency faster than most patients realize. Just like a bodily infection, an oral infection can turn lethal if it’s left untreated. Oral infections first go through the roots of the teeth and spread through the soft tissues of your mouth. From there, they make their way into the bloodstream and cause as much damage as they can. You may not even realize you have an oral infection until it’s almost too late. Fortunately for us all, there are ways you can spot one before it destroys your mouth. Using a flashlight, or a penlight, with a compact or a small mirror, check your mouth for small, swollen, red bumps and anything that looks like a pimple. Even if it’s just for a second, if you ever suspect that you have an oral infection, call us straight away.

Lost Fillings and Crowns

Losing a filling or a crown requires swift action on your part. Fillings and crowns are put in place to further protect and restore a damaged tooth to begin with, so you need to make sure that it’s not damaged any further. Dental cement, cotton balls, and pieces of gauze are all protection methods you can use if you’ve had a crown or a filling fall out. Both are not designed to last forever, especially if they’ve been damaged or are decades old, so don’t panic. If you don’t protect the tooth until your emergency dentist Washington appointment, however, you could be facing an emergency tooth extraction. The emergency dentist will not be able to refill or recap the tooth if it’s damaged from you not protecting it properly.

An Emergency Tooth Extraction

Emergency tooth extractions can be scary, especially if you are told that you have to get one at the last minute. The best way to be prepared for one, though, is to know a bit about the process so you know what you can expect. Once the extraction site is completely numbed up and the emergency dentist has checked to make sure that you won’t feel anything, he or she will move forward by creating a couple of incisions in the extraction site. This helps to loosen the tooth up so it will come out without too much of a struggle. If, however, the tooth cannot be removed whole, the emergency dentist will then break the tooth up into smaller sections and will remove it piece by piece. Once the extraction process is completed, you will then need to go over important aftercare instructions with the emergency dentist. These instructions are crucial for you to follow at home in order to keep the site clean, free of infection, and to ensure that the amount of time it takes to heal is as minimal as possible.

Emergency Room Doctors vs Emergency Dentists

There will be times where you’re unsure whether you need to see an emergency room doctor or an emergency dentist first. For example, you’ve been in a car accident and have a couple of shattered and/or broken teeth and a concussion. Emergency room doctors can’t save your teeth, but they can treat your head trauma, help manage your pain, and treat any injuries you may have. Emergency dentists can’t treat your head trauma, but they can minimally manage your pain, save your teeth, and treat your oral injuries. Remember, head trauma always comes first and can only be treated by an emergency room doctor.