Emergency Dental Care

If you’re hurting, bleeding, or worried about losing a tooth — that’s an emergency. Don’t wait it out. Call us at 540-489-8191 and we’ll get you in same-day during clinical hours.

The conditions that warrant a same-day call:

• Severe or worsening tooth pain — especially when biting, with cold, or that wakes you up at night
• A tooth that’s been knocked completely out (time is critical — see below)
• A broken, cracked, or chipped tooth — especially with sharp edges or visible pulp
• A lost filling or crown that’s causing pain or exposed nerve
• A dental abscess — visible swelling near the tooth or gum, often with pus, fever, or facial swelling
• Trauma to the mouth, lip, or jaw from a fall, sports, or accident
• Persistent bleeding from the gums after injury or extraction
• Severe sensitivity that’s making it impossible to eat, drink, or sleep

If a permanent tooth has been completely knocked out, a re-implanted tooth has the best chance of surviving when it’s back in the socket within 30 minutes. Up to 60 minutes, survival odds drop sharply. After 2 hours, the tooth usually can’t be saved by re-implantation. Here’s what to do right now:

1. Pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing surface). Never touch the root.
2. Rinse it gently with milk or saline if it’s dirty. Do NOT scrub it or use soap — you’d damage the delicate cells on the root surface that help re-implantation succeed.
3. Try to put it back in the socket right away. Hold it in place by biting gently on a piece of gauze.
4. If you can’t re-implant it, put the tooth in cold milk (best), a tooth preservation kit (Save-A-Tooth), or hold it inside the patient’s cheek. Avoid water — it damages the root cells.
5. Call us immediately — 540-489-8191 — and head straight to our office. After hours, the voicemail outlines what to do.

Baby teeth that get knocked out generally don’t get re-implanted (re-implantation can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath). Call us anyway to confirm next steps.

For severe tooth pain: ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 hours plus acetaminophen 1,000 mg every 6 hours, alternating, is more effective than either drug alone — and is the regimen most studies show outperforms opioids for dental pain. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek helps. Avoid heat — it makes infection worse.

For bleeding: gentle, firm gauze pressure for 15 to 20 minutes without peeking. A tea bag (the tannins help clotting) works in a pinch.

For a broken tooth: rinse the mouth with warm salt water. Save any tooth fragments in milk. Cover sharp edges with a piece of sugar-free gum or dental wax temporarily to protect your tongue and cheek.

For a lost crown: a small amount of toothpaste, denture adhesive, or temporary crown cement (drugstore) can re-attach the crown temporarily until we can see you. Do NOT use household glue — toxic and damaging.

For swelling / abscess: don’t apply heat (makes infection spread). Ibuprofen helps pain and inflammation. If you have facial swelling, fever, or difficulty breathing or swallowing — go to the ER first, then call us.

1. Triage at the front desk. We get you seated in an operatory within minutes, not the waiting room.
2. Pain management first. Local anesthesia gets you out of pain before we do anything else.
3. X-rays and quick exam. We figure out exactly what’s happening — usually within 15 minutes.
4. Treatment plan in writing. Once we know what’s wrong, we explain your options and their cost before doing any work beyond pain control.
5. Treatment. Most emergencies are resolved the same visit. Some require a follow-up (a knocked-out tooth needs to stabilize before the final crown, for example).

Emergency visits at our Rocky Mount office are billed like any other appointment — there’s no premium for being seen same-day. Typical ranges depending on what we need to do:

• Emergency exam + X-ray: $100–$200
• Tooth extraction (simple): $200–$400
• Tooth extraction (surgical): $400–$700
• Re-cementing a lost crown: $100–$200
• Temporary filling: $150–$300
• Root canal (front tooth → molar): $700–$1,600
• Crown (after root canal or to restore a broken tooth): $1,100–$1,800
• Antibiotics for infection: typically $10–$30 at pharmacy

Most dental insurance covers emergency exams and basic treatment. Virginia Dental Club members get 20% off all emergency treatment. CareCredit financing handles larger emergency cases (root canal + crown together, for example) at 0% interest on qualifying plans.

Most dental emergencies are preventable:

• Don’t skip your cleaning + exam visits. Most cavities and cracks we catch at routine cleanings are fixable with a small filling. Wait two years and that same tooth needs a root canal and crown.
• Wear a mouthguard for contact sports. A $30 custom guard prevents tens of thousands of dollars of emergency dental work.
• Wear a night guard if you grind. Bruxism causes cracked teeth and failed crowns. A night guard adds years to every restoration in your mouth.
• Don’t use your teeth as tools. No opening packages, biting nails, chewing ice, or chewing pens. Cracked teeth from these habits are one of the most common emergencies we see.
• Treat small problems early. If a tooth is sensitive or you notice a chip, come in this month — not in six months when it’s an emergency.