Happy & Healthy

Emergency Dentist

Emergency Dentist Alexandria VA

Happy & Healthy

Emergency Dentist

Emergency Dentist Alexandria VA

Emergency Dentist

in Alexandria, VA

When an emergency dental situation happens, it is in your best interests to have a plan in place. It might be difficult to identify the difference between having a dental issue that can wait a day versus having a serious issue that requires immediate attention.

Emergency dental care may be necessary as the result of an untreated oral health issue that has progressed to the point of being unbearable. You can avoid this situation, by exercising good oral hygiene habits and scheduling a regular dental exam every six months. This preventative approach allows INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA to address issues before they become problems. If you notice an ache or pain that is getting worse, do not wait until it is too late to have us identify the problem.

The entire team at INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA shares an office goal. With over three decades of experience, we pride ourselves in being old school when it comes to respecting you and your family and giving you the treatment that we would wish to receive ourselves. Every single patient receives the quality care they deserve. This is the way to earn your trust and satisfaction. Our team is focused on our collaborative efforts to promote oral health by practicing prevention, wellness, enhancement, and renewing rejuvenation. Visit us at 4660 Kenmore Ave., #320, Alexandria, VA 22304 or give us a call today at 703-751-7600 to schedule your appointment regarding developing an emergency dentist plan.

By being prepared and understanding potential issues, you can make sure you can remain calm and know what to do when and if an event happens. The following tips will help ensure that you take the correct steps and avoid creating any unnecessary complications later.

Uncomfortable Toothaches

Toothache pain can easily become overwhelming, making it difficult to both eat and sleep. Serious tooth pain can be the result of a dental abscess or infection, or by decay that has irritated the nerves in your tooth. If the tooth pain does not subside with an over-the-counter pain reliever, you should consider it a dental emergency. Call INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA immediately, and follow these suggestions until we can see you:

  • Hold an ice pack against the outside of your mouth near the sore tooth.
  • Use dental floss to remove anything that is lodged near the sore tooth.
  • Rinse your mouth with salt water to kill the bacteria and alleviate inflammation.
  • Apply an oral numbing gel to the sore tooth and the gums around it.
  • Never apply aspirin or another pain reliever directly to your tooth or gums, as this can irritate the gum tissue and make it worse.

A Broken or Cracked Tooth

If you chip or break a tooth it is important to see INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA as soon as possible. The sooner you receive treatment, the more likely it is that we might be able to reattach the broken piece to your damaged tooth. Save any pieces of the broken tooth that you find and rinse them gently in warm water. Then place them in a cup of milk and bring them on your appointment.

If the tooth is painful, you can address the pain by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever. Hold an ice pack against your cheek, and if you are bleeding, bite down on a piece of gauze to stop the bleeding.

A Lost or Damaged Filling

If you chip or crack a dental filling and do not experience any pain, you can call INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA and schedule an appointment to repair it. If you lose a filling completely, you can place some sugar-free gum in the empty space. If this keeps you comfortable, you can see us within a few days to have the filling replaced. If the pain is intolerable, contact us so we can insert a new filling promptly.

RESTORATIVE
DENTISTRY

Even with the best of diligence to maintain your oral health things don’t go as planned. Once in a while, and you might find that your teeth need to be restored or replaced. Missing, cracked, damaged, or even decayed teeth will dull your smile. Did you know it can also affect your oral health? At Inspire Dental of Alexandria we offer restorative dentistry to ensure that your teeth and oral health are back to their former state.

COMSETIC
DENTISTRY

It is important to feel confident in your smile, because being confident in your smile means being confident in yourself. Despite this, many people walk around every day, resigned to the fact that their smile is what it is and there is really nothing they can do to change it. But what if that was not the case? What if improving the aesthetic appearance and/or functionality of your smile was easier than you thought?

IMPLANT
DENTISTRY

Almost 50 million Americans experience tooth-loss every year. Dental bridges have traditionally been the best option if you are in this situation. However, there have been continual technological advancements regarding different types of dental implants. Dental implants are becoming both a common and popular procedure to restore a missing tooth or teeth.

A Lost Crown

A lost crown is also considered a dental emergency, but like a lost filling, you should be able to wait for treatment until we can get you in. You can apply some clove oil to the tooth to avoid any soreness. You can also apply some denture glue to the tooth and attempt to slip the crown back over it. Never use super glue to reattach the crown. If you cannot get the crown to stay on your tooth, place it in a plastic bag until you can see us.

Loose Braces Brackets

A loose braces bracket is not a valid reason to visit an emergency dentist at 12:00 am, but it is a reason to see INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA as soon as possible. Until then you we suggest using an orthodontic wax to hold the loose bracket in place. Also apply some wax over the top of the bracket so that it does not rub on your cheek. We will most likely need to re-cement the bracket or replace it totally.

If an arch wire in your braces breaks off and starts poking you in the cheek, this is an emergency that can also wait until the next day. To stop the wire from poking you, use a pencil eraser to bend it back. Do not cut the wire; you could swallow it. Cover the end of the wire with some orthodontic wax to prevent it from rubbing on your cheek. Stick with soft foods until we repair your braces.

A Knocked-Out Tooth

Having a tooth knocked out can certainly be traumatic, but first take a deep breath and remember that we treat these situations often. If you can see INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA within an hour, there is a good chance we will be able to re-insert the tooth into its socket and save it.

Call us immediately when you lose a tooth. Always pick up the lost tooth by the crown, not the root, because you do not want to introduce any bacteria to the tooth root. If there is debris on the tooth, run it under some clean, cold water, but do not dry it. Then push it back into its socket, and bite down slowly to keep it in place until you reach us. If you cannot get the tooth back into the socket, put it in a cup of milk.

The emergency treatment process for saving your lost tooth involves cleaning the socket, and then re-inserting the tooth right back into its socket. We will use wire or a special splint to hold the tooth in place. Over the next few weeks, the jawbone will fuse to the tooth, making it stable once again.

WHAT OUR DENTAL PATIENTS SAY

5 star

My family has been seeing Dr. White through more than a decade of teeth cleanings, tooth injuries, teeth grinding, cavities, caps, root canal... you name it. The office is 30 minutes away but we wouldn't consider another dentist office. It's not just that Dr. White is a great professional, it's that he and his family run a great office. Scheduling, insurance, hygienists, hours -- everything about interacting with them is first rate.Everybody is knowledgeable, thorough, and kind. They take major insurance, and have even given me advice on which options to select. ...and Dr. White is a big Nats fan, which is a bonus in my book any day.

SCOTT A.

Alexandria, VA

A Dental Abscess

A dental abscess is an infection that happens in or around a tooth root. They can cause serious pain, and they can be dangerous as they will spread into the jawbone. Seek treatment for a suspected dental abscess as soon as possible to reduce infection spreading. If you have a fever or severe pain, call us immediately. If you do not have a fever and are able to manage your pain with over-the-counter pain relievers, you can call us, and we will be able to see you the next day.

As with all toothaches, you can keep abscess pain under control with ice packs, salt-water rinses, and sticking to soft foods. Abscesses are often treated with a root canal procedure. If the tooth is badly infected, an extraction may be necessary.

An Oral Injury

If you have suffered an injury to your mouth that results in either tissue damage or bleeding, you should head to the emergency room. The doctors there will suture up any external cuts and then refer you to an emergency dentist for any damage to your teeth or soft tissues. Until you get to the emergency room, you can control the bleeding by placing pressure on the wounded area with an ice pack. Rinse your mouth with cool water to control any bleeding from the internal cuts and keep the area clean.

Our Mission Statement is to Open Doors with a Smile

At INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA, our mission statement is quite simple. We approach every patient with attentive, gentle grace and patience. We understand the concept that we each are unique, and we all have our personal therapy plans. No matter the age, we will treat each patient only as we wish to be treated. By integrating cutting-edge technology with solid tradition, we attempt every day to exceed your expectations. Visit us at 4660 Kenmore Ave., #320, Alexandria, VA 22304 or give us a call today at 703-751-7600 to schedule your appointment to help develop an emergency dentist plan.  High quality, comfortable, relaxing environment, and plenty of smiles is what you will encounter at INSPIRE DENTAL OF ALEXANDRIA.

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