Emergency Dentist – Farmington Hills, MI
We Can Help When Dental Pain Strikes
As nice as it would be if brushing and flossing every day could prevent serious oral health problems from ever happening, the fact of the matter is that anyone could suffer from a dental emergency. We want to be able to help you put your pain behind you as quickly as possible, so if you need an emergency dentist in Farmington Hills, call Radiant Dental right away. We’ll do what we can to get you into our dental office as soon as possible, and you can count on us to be transparent about your treatment options.
Why Choose Radiant Dental for Emergency Dentistry?
- Fully Digital Dental Practice Using the Latest Technology
- Personalized Dental Patient Experiences
- Dental Patients of All Ages Are Welcome
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
When you need emergency dental care, we’ll do everything we can to accommodate your needs. Here are the steps you can expect us to follow:
- Schedule an Emergency Appointment: To get the care you need during a dental emergency, you should first call our office in order to schedule a visit. We can give you instructions for taking care of your mouth while you’re waiting.
- Perform an Emergency Examination: We can use state-of-the-art dental technology to identify what’s causing the problem. If you’re in pain, we’ll do what we can to reduce it before we start putting together your treatment plan.
- Review Findings: Our team will explain what treatment options would be most effective in your case and help you make the right choice for your oral health.
- Carry Out Treatment Plan: We’ll perform any treatments that are determined necessary based on the results of our examination. As an example, an infected tooth might require root canal treatment or an extraction.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Some dental emergencies are relatively straightforward while others are more complex. Regardless of what kind of issue you’re suffering from, we want to make sure you’re prepared to handle it. Here are some examples of common dental emergencies. Please contact us right away if you notice any of these issues; our team can provide first-aid advice as needed.
Toothaches
Chipped
Tooth
Cracked
Tooth
Sensitivity to
Hot & Cold
Knocked-Out
Tooth
Lost Filling
or Crown
Broken
Denture
Loose
Tooth
Gums, Lip or
Tongue Injury
Jaw Pain or
Clenching
Something Stuck
Between Teeth
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
Emergency dentistry can involve a variety of treatments, and the cost of each one can vary based on your circumstances. As such, there’s no way to know how much you’ll need to pay for your care before you get to our office. An estimate will need to be created after we have examined your mouth and formed a potential treatment plan. We’ll be sure to discuss how options such as dental insurance can help make your emergency dental treatment more budget-friendly.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
We briefly mentioned above that the cost of emergency dental care varies. That’s because we need to consider each patient’s unique needs, including what the root of the problem is, how severe the damage is, and which restorative treatment (or treatments) are needed. Don’t worry – we will provide you with all of this information at your emergency exam as well as an estimate of the price. We will also review the financial solutions available to help alleviate any stress you may feel about the cost.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
The good news is that dental insurance providers typically do cover a portion of the cost of essential restorative care. In fact, your plan may even include perks like a complimentary emergency exam annually! Of course, waiting periods, annual maximums, and other red tape need to be considered, which is why we encourage our patients to reach out with any questions they have. We’re more than happy to help you navigate the ins and outs of your coverage, and we are even in-network with popular providers like Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, and Cigna.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you’re currently uninsured – whether it’s because you are an entrepreneur or because your job doesn’t currently offer it – you’ll be happy to know that dental insurance isn’t the only financial solution we offer. Here are two other ways you can save:
- Our In-House Membership Plan – With our in-house plan, you save on essential preventive care and get 20% off restorative treatments like fillings, dental crowns, and oral surgery.
- Flexible Financing with CareCredit – If paying for the entire cost of your emergency dental care at once is too much, you can break it up into monthly installments with CareCredit!
Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money
Patients often forget that many dental emergencies can be avoided, including knocked-out teeth! As a result, the recommendations we provide are beneficial when it comes to the health of your smile as well as the health of your wallet. So, if you aren’t already, make sure that you’re wearing a mouthguard when playing sports, brushing and flossing consistently, coming in for a checkup and cleaning twice a year, and avoiding bad habits like smoking.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
Unfortunately, you can’t avoid every dental emergency – accidents happen! With that said, it is possible to minimize the risk of experiencing one. With this in mind, keep reading to learn a few suggestions from our team on the topic of protecting your smile from harm:
Visit Your Dentist Biannually
Even if you are consistent with your at-home oral hygiene regimen, you need to get a checkup and cleaning every six months. During your exam, we will carefully scan for oral cancer, gum disease, tooth decay, loose restorations, and other serious dental problems. During the cleaning, we will remove plaque and tartar that your toothbrush and floss left behind. In short, these periodic appointments play a crucial role in maintaining your healthy smile, so don’t skip them!
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene At Home
If you don’t already brush twice a day and floss consistently, then pick up these habits ASAP! Start with the basics, like purchasing a soft-bristled toothbrush, fluoridated toothpaste, and your preferred floss. Then work on timing, which includes brushing for a full two minutes each morning and evening and flossing once a day. Finally, start using a mouthwash that’s been approved by the ADA; this will help prevent gum disease and plaque buildup.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
Since sugary foods, like caramel popcorn, ice cream, and candy, can drastically increase your chances of tooth decay, it’s important not to over-indulge. Instead, focus on changing your diet to include lots of nutrient-dense foods, like fresh fruit, lean protein, and cooked vegetables. The minerals, vitamins, and nutrients they contain will help your body fight off infections while also keeping your teeth and jawbone strong.
Wear a Mouthguard
Did you know that roughly five million teeth are knocked out each year? So, if you aren’t in the habit of wearing a mouthguard during practices and games, now is the time to start! This simple best practice can reduce your chances of sustaining oral injuries significantly.
Note: if you clench or grind your teeth – whether it’s due to stress or it’s a nocturnal habit – it’s also important to wear a mouthguard to prevent premature wear.
Use Tools to Open Packages, Not Your Teeth
You may use your teeth as tools more often than you think, like opening a tube of mascara, removing a bottle cap, or taking off a clothing tag. While this may seem convenient in the moment, your teeth aren’t designed to withstand that kind of pressure, causing them to crack or fracture. That’s why it’s best to avoid this unhealthy dental habit entirely.
Dental Emergency FAQs
If you have a question about an existing dental injury, then call us ASAP so we can determine if a same-day appointment is needed. If, on the other hand, you simply want to learn more about emergency dentistry so that you’re prepared in case one does arise, then read on – this next section is dedicated to answering FAQs!
What if I can’t afford emergency dentistry?
It’s very common for patients to be concerned about the price of dental care, especially the price of unexpected dental care. It’s important to remember that the root of the problem – whether decay, infection, or something else entirely – will not heal on its own. In fact, if left untreated, it can progress to the point where more costly treatments become necessary. That’s why we recommend coming in for an exam with our Farmington Hills dental team sooner rather than later.
With all of that said, we do offer several financial solutions so that the cost of emergency dentistry fits into just about every budget. We welcome dental insurance, we offer our own dental membership plan, and we happily accept flexible financing.
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
Since ERs don’t usually have dentists on-staff, we don’t recommend going unless you’re experiencing a potentially life-threatening symptom, like difficulty breathing. In most other cases, your first call should be to us. Over the phone, we will ask you a few questions to learn about your situation and provide you with helpful tips on what to do until you arrive at our office.
Do I need to visit for minor chips to teeth?
If you’ve chipped your tooth, but you can barely see it and you aren’t in any pain, then you should be safe waiting a day or two for an appointment. We don’t recommend waiting any longer than that because there’s a risk that the tooth could become infected or break further.
Are toothpicks safe to use?
Using the sharp edge of a toothpick may seem helpful, but it has the potential to damage your enamel and irritate your gums. That combined with the fact that swallowing one can be fatal, we don’t recommend using a toothpick to clean between your teeth. Instead, use your floss of choice to gently remove food particles, plaque, and other debris.
What does chronic bad breath mean?
Bad breath stemming from a meal filled with garlic, onions, or tuna is normal. If you’re experiencing a persistent odor that doesn’t seem to be tied to anything specific, then you may have an untreated cavity or gum disease. So, it’s worth scheduling an appointment with us so one of our dedicated dentists at Radiant Dental can conduct an exam. Until then, do your best to avoid pungent foods and keep chewing gum and mints on hand.
Can superglue be used to repair broken dentures?
The short answer is “no.” Not only does this household adhesive contain toxins that aren’t safe to ingest, but the only proper way to repair a broken denture is to bring it to a dental professional.
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