Monteith Commons, 2931 Piedmont Rd NE, Ste. A
Atlanta, GA 30305 (404) 261-7488

Emergency Dentist Buckhead Atlanta, GA

Quick Pain Relief When You Need It

A woman talking with her emergency dentist Emergency situations are no laughter matter, especially when they involve your vulnerable smile. If you or a loved one is experiencing a severe oral injury or pain located in the area, don’t hesitate – please contact Dr. Jane Puskas and her experienced staff here in Buckhead Atlanta right away. Our doctors will do everything we can to see emergency cases as soon as possible, and we can also provide helpful instruction over the phone for how to stabilize and even improve your condition in in the interim.

 

Why Choose Us for Emergency Dental Care?

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

A woman covering her mouth You might be unsure of how urgent oral care works. If so, you can expect the following to take place at your emergency dental visit:

  • A Same-day Appointment: After you’ve contacted our office, we’ll pencil you in for treatment as soon as possible. (Ideally, you’ll end up seeing us for a same-day appointment.) If needed, we’ll also give you personalized first-aid tips over the phone. That way, you can better manage your issue until the visit.
  • An Emergency Exam: We’ll give you an emergency oral exam once you arrive for care. In particular, our team will assess your teeth, gums, and mouth tissues for the source of your problem. Furthermore, the dentists will also relieve you of any immediate, severe pain.
  • Review of Findings: Following the exam (and possible X-rays), we’ll share our findings with you and suggest the best possible procedure options. From there, the dental team will explain your custom treatment plan – its features, estimated price, timeline, etc.
  • Needed Care: You can count on our dentists to quickly address your oral issue and get your smile in working order. Whether you need a filling, crown, root canal, or something else, we’ll be ready for it.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

While the first thing you should do in the event of an urgent dental situation is contact your emergency dentist in Buckhead Atlanta, sometimes that’s not always possible right away. In the meantime, here are some tips for dealing with common dental emergencies:

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies 

Dental tools stacked on top of dollar bills Because dental emergencies differ from patient to patient, no two people will end up paying the same amount for treatment. For example, while a mild oral infection might only require a prescription of antibiotics, a broken tooth may need to be extracted and replaced, which racks up a higher price. No matter the cost of your treatment, though, you should never put off getting the care you need. Oral health problems like infections or damaged teeth only worsen the longer you avoid treatment, causing higher costs in the future. Rest assured that our team will do everything in our power to reduce your cost of treatment as much as we can.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Woman smiling while sitting in dental chair

Naturally, it’s always better to prevent a dental emergency than to deal with one. Doing so, after all, saves you time and energy! For that reason, we’ve dedicated this next section to covering what you can do to protect your teeth and gums from harm.

Learn More

Visit Your Dentist Biannually

Patient reclined in treatment chair smiling

Remember, you shouldn’t only come in for a checkup when you’re hurting. Instead, you should come in every six months so that we can catch and treat serious oral health problems before they cause you any pain. The second part of these routine visits (the cleaning) is also important because it allows us to clear away plaque and tartar that would’ve otherwise resulted in tooth decay, gum disease, or another dental issue.

Brush and Floss Consistently

Man in white shirt smiling while brushing his teeth

Brushing twice a day is important, but it isn’t the only thing that matters. To keep your teeth and gums healthy, you also need to floss each morning or evening. Additionally, you should rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash for 30-60 seconds. If you are ever unsure what the proper brushing technique is, which floss you should be using, or something similar, you’re more than welcome to reach out to us too – we can help!

Stick to a Nutritious Diet

Woman smiling while eating healthy meal at home

Simply put, your body needs vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to fight off infections. Plus, sugary and starchy foods can eat away at your enamel, increasing your risk of dental damage in the process. These are just two of the many reasons why you should stick to a well-balanced diet that’s filled with fresh fruits, raw vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains.

Note: You should also exercise caution with extremely hard foods that can chip a tooth!

Wear a Mouthguard During Sports

Woman smiling while holding clear mouthguard

In both contact and non-contact sports, you should wear a mouthguard. In fact, you should even wear one during solo sports, like surfing, to protect your teeth and gums from a bad fall. If you don’t have a custom mouthguard that was designed specifically for your mouth and your activity, then schedule an appointment with us so we can have one made that will provide you with the maximum protection possible.

Avoid Unhealthy Dental Habits

Closeup of woman biting her nails

Preventing a dental emergency isn’t just about what you should do (like wearing a mouthguard), it’s about what you shouldn’t do (like smoking). In addition to avoiding all tobacco products, we encourage our patients to avoid other common habits, like biting their nails, chewing on ice cubes, and holding their keys in their mouth when their hands are full. This will go a long way in protecting your teeth from serious chips, cracks, and fractures.

Emergency Dentistry FAQs

dental implant post in a model of the jaw Do you still have questions about what you should do if you need urgent care from your emergency dentist in Buckhead Atlanta? Luckily, you don’t have to deal with the stress of this situation by yourself. Our skilled and friendly team of dental professionals can walk you through basic first aid over the phone and schedule an appointment to get you out of pain as soon as possible. For your convenience, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions about dental emergencies in the section below.

Learn More

How Do I Know If I Have a True Dental Emergency?

Many people hesitate to contact an emergency dentist because they don’t believe their problem really “counts” as an emergency. However, putting off treatment for a smaller issue could cause it to spiral into a larger problem down the road. Call our office right away if you can answer “yes” to any of the following questions:

  • Do you experience severe pain when biting or chewing?
  • Is there a sore on your tongue, gums, or other oral tissue that hasn’t healed within two weeks?
  • Are your teeth visibly damaged?
  • Do you have a pimple-like bump on your gums?
  • Are your gums swollen?
  • Have your gums changed in color?

What’s the Best Way to Manage My Pain?

Tooth pain can be excruciating and can prevent you from focusing on daily tasks like working, eating, and sleeping. Many patients find that it can help to apply a topical pain reliever, such as Orajel, to the gums surrounding a hurting tooth. Common over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen, and holding a cold compress to your cheek for 10 minutes at a time can also reduce pain and mitigate swelling.

Keep in mind, though, that these are only temporary solutions. Be sure to call us so we can address the root of your pain. 

Will My Toothache Go Away on Its Own?

Unlike many general health problems, like the common cold, oral health issues usually only get worse the longer you avoid getting them treated. This is why you should contact us as soon as the issue arises.

A severe toothache that suddenly goes away is often a sign of infection. The numbness is often the result of the infection rendering the tooth “dead” by preventing the nerve from being able to relay pain signals to the brain. If it isn’t treated, the infection could spread to the rest of your mouth and even other areas of your body.

What Should I Do If I Have an Emergency and I Can’t Reach My Regular Dentist?

For more urgent emergencies such as a broken or knocked-out tooth or an extreme toothache, find the nearest emergency dentist immediately. In these situations, time is of the essence. Smaller situations, like a slightly chipped tooth or a damaged crown, can usually wait until you can reach us to be treated.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Although a toothache may not seem like a serious dental injury, it could be a warning sign of an untreated oral health problem, like a large cavity. That’s why we encourage our dental patients in Atlanta to reach out to us if the discomfort persists for more than a few hours or you’re experiencing other abnormal symptoms, like dark discoloration on the tooth in question.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Instead of trying to ignore it, take proactive steps to alleviate your discomfort and protect your tooth from further harm! That starts with scheduling an appointment with us and extends to using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Toothaches That depends! If your toothache is stemming from a cavity, then we can remove the damaged tissue and restore the missing structure with a same-day dental crown. If your toothache is stemming from an infection, however, then root canal treatment may be the best option.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY CROWNS

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? That depends. If you aren’t in any pain and the chip is relatively small, then you may not need to come in right away for treatment. Even then, we do recommend calling us so we can provide you with instructions on what to do from home and schedule an appointment for you before the end of the week.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Naturally, you don’t want the chip to get bigger. To prevent that from happening, don’t eat anything crunchy, chew on ice, bite your nails, or do anything else that can damage your teeth. Additionally, rinse your mouth with clean, lukewarm water every so often and cover the sharp edge of your tooth with sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth One of the most popular treatments for chipped teeth is veneers. Not only can this cosmetic dental treatment fix small and large chips, but the results can last for 10+ years with proper care.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VENEERS

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Definitely! Once your tooth cracks, it doesn’t take much to split further. Plus, an infection can quickly develop, negatively impacting your oral health even more. Simply put, don’t wait to get in touch with us – schedule an appointment as soon as you can.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth Handling a cracked tooth properly starts with rinsing your mouth periodically with clean water, not chewing on that side of your mouth, and taking an OTC pain reliever (if needed). As we mentioned above, you should also come to our Buckhead Atlanta dental office ASAP for treatment.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Fortunately, we can typically treat the crack and save your tooth with a dental crown. Since we offer same-day restorations, you won’t have to worry about a lengthy treatment timeline either; we can restore the look and function of your smile the very same day!

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY CROWNS

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Patients often dismiss dental sensitivity, but it’s possible for the root of the problem to be something serious, like an infection. For that reason, we recommend calling us if it persists for more than 24 hours.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth The best thing to do is avoid anything that will exacerbate your symptoms, like drinking hot coffee. Instead, stick to room-temperature water, take OTC pain medication as directed, and get to our office as soon as you can for an exam.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth If your dental sensitivity is due to tooth decay, then a tooth-colored filling or dental crown will likely be the solution. If the damage is more extensive, then root canal treatment may be needed instead. Rest assured, we will review your treatment options, make our recommendations, and share the cost upfront.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, because there will eventually come a time when we are no longer able to save your tooth! We want to avoid that, so contact us right away instead. We’ll schedule an appointment for you with Dr. Puskas and tell you what to do until you arrive.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth Preserving the root surface cells is important, which is why we recommend putting the tooth back in its socket. If it’s dirty or it doesn’t go back into place easily, then place it in a clean container filled with milk instead.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth When you arrive at our office, we will first see if we can save your tooth. If it’s too badly damaged, then we will opt for the next best thing: a dental implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Whether your restoration is slightly loose or it has completely fallen out, you need to contact our Buckhead dental office ASAP to schedule an emergency appointment.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown Like the other dental injuries on this list, you shouldn’t chew on that side of your mouth or touch the tooth with your finger. Instead, put your restoration in a small, clean container and do your best to protect your treated tooth from harm.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Lost fillings are almost always replaced with a new one. Dental crowns are a little different because sometimes they can be re-cemented back in place. If that’s not possible, you’ll be happy to hear that the process of replacing it is easy; we offer same-day dental crowns!

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAME-DAY DENTAL CROWNS

Broken Denture

Loose Permanent Tooth

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Jaw Pain

Something Stuck Between the Teeth