Emergency Dentist – Bedford, TX

Fast, Effective Dental Care Available to You

Woman holding her cheek in pain needing emergency dentist in Bedford

When a dental emergency occurs, you can afford to wait until it’s convenient for someone to see you. Instead, you need help right away, which is why Dr. B is pleased to provide same-day and after-hour emergency dental care here in Bedford. At Meadow Park Family Dentistry, we never want anyone to feel helpless when faced with severe pain or injury. By calling our office to alert us of the problem, we can work to get you in right away so that you no longer experience any pain but instead, a damage-free smile.

 

Why Choose Meadow Park Family Dentistry for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day and After-Hours Emergency Dentistry
  • We Care About Patient Comfort
  • Patients of All Ages Can Expect Optimal Care

 

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man holding his cheek and wincing in pain

When it comes to treating dental emergencies, you must first call to schedule an appointment. A member of our team will work to get you in right away so that you can begin to receive treatment as soon as possible. Once in our dental office, we will take digital images so that Dr. B can determine if any damage exists beneath the gumline. After identifying the areas of concern, a formalized treatment plan will be created so that we can review it with you. At this point, we will begin to administer treatment to fix the damage or infection and get you out of any pain.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

There are many common dental emergencies our team can address in-house. However, you may be unaware of whether what you’re experiencing is an actual emergency. This is why we invite you to review the details provided below and call us the moment you think your smile might be in trouble.

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies

Dental team member showing a patient where to sign on a clipboard

The cost of dental emergencies cannot be determined until you meet with Dr. B. Because there are so many different injuries that can occur, the type of treatment you will need can only be reviewed and discussed once we’ve performed a thorough examination. No matter the extent to which you need proper care, you can trust that we will work to maximize your dental insurance benefits and/or go over additional payment options to keep your out-of-pocket expenses low.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Young woman brushing her teeth

You want to avoid a trip to the emergency dental office, but you’re unsure what you can do to be more proactive about safeguarding your smile. You can:

  • Keep up with your six-month dental checkups and teeth cleanings with Dr. B.
  • Maintain good oral hygiene habits at home by brushing twice daily, flossing at least once a day, and rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash.
  • Wear a mouthguard to protect against serious damage.
  • Avoid unhealthy habits like smoking and biting down on hard, inanimate objects.
  • Get help for teeth grinding and clenching.
  • Stop using your teeth as tools.

 

More to Explore

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Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you’re unsure if your toothache warrants an emergency visit, it’s a good idea to assess your symptoms. Has your pain persisted for several hours? Are you experiencing sharp, stabbing discomfort when you bite down? Are your gums bleeding? If so, you should get an appointment on the calendar ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until we pinpoint what’s causing your toothache (and the best way to treat it), focus on doing what you can to alleviate your discomfort in the short-term. Rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, not eating anything spicy or acidic, and taking OTC pain medication as directed will go a long way.

How We Treat Toothaches Toothaches can often be alleviated with a dental filling or crown. Sometimes, root canal treatment is needed instead, which can effectively eliminate an infection and any pain it’s causing. Not to worry – we will review all of your treatment options (as well as our recommendations) at your initial appointment.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Chipped Tooth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Sometimes, yes. For example, if the chip is severe, there is a serious crack in your enamel, or you’re in pain, you should schedule an emergency appointment with our Bedford dental team immediately.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth We mentioned one step above: contacting us. We also recommend rinsing your mouth with clean, lukewarm water and covering the chipped tooth with some sugar-free gum. This will help prevent dental sensitivity while also protecting the soft tissue in your mouth.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Whether your tooth is seriously chipped or the damage is barely noticeable, we can help. At your appointment, we’ll review all of your treatment options – from direct bonding to a metal-free dental crown – and share the pros of each. That way, you can confidently decide how you want to move forward.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Absolutely! So much so that we recommend scheduling an emergency appointment with us even if the crack is minor.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth First, call us. That way, we can schedule an appointment for you right away. We’ll also share what to do to prevent the crack from getting larger and your pain from skyrocketing, like drinking room-temperature water instead of cold water, and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth We have a few options, starting with covering the tooth with a dental crown. If that’s not an option because the tooth cannot be saved, then we will numb your mouth before carefully extracting it. Once you’ve healed, we will fill the open space with a dental bridge or implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not always. Before you take the “wait and see” approach, however, you need to assess your symptoms carefully. For example, if you’re experiencing persistent sensitivity and there is a pimple-like bump on your gums, you should schedule an appointment with us right away.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth Outside of calling us to schedule an appointment (even if it’s a week or two from now), we recommend avoiding anything that could exacerbate your symptoms, like eating spicy foods or drinking hot tea. Consider switching to a desensitizing toothpaste as well.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth If your dental sensitivity is stemming from an untreated oral health problem, like a cavity, then we will review your treatment options, share our recommendations, and intervene with the agreed-upon treatment quickly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, because there’s only a small window of time where saving your tooth is even an option. So, call us ASAP! We will do our best to schedule an appointment within the hour with our Bedford emergency dentist (Dr. Buchupally), and we will give you instructions on what to do in the meantime.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth If you are able to locate your tooth, put it back in its socket or place it in a clean container filled with milk. You can rinse it off with clean water if it’s dirty, but don’t soak it in water in an attempt to preserve the root surface cells – that won’t work. If you can’t find the tooth, that’s okay. Just focus on getting to our office so we can restore your pain-free smile.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth Fortunately, knocked-out teeth can often be saved if the tooth is in good condition and you get the care you need within an hour of the incident. If we cannot save your tooth, then we will do the next best thing: replace it with a dental bridge or implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Yes, because without the restoration securely in place, you can experience numerous problems – from trouble chewing properly to persistent sensitivity. So, don’t put off scheduling an appointment; call us ASAP.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to scheduling an appointment with us, we recommend avoiding all crunchy, sticky, and sugary foods. It’s also important that you don’t chew on that side of your mouth and that you rinse with clean, room-temperature water periodically to help prevent infection.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Providing you with a new dental filling or crown is always an option. That said, there are some cases where we recommend something else. For example, if you have your dental crown, it’s relatively new, and it’s in good condition, then we may recommend re-cementing it back in place.

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? While a broken denture may not seem like a dental emergency, wearing damaged prosthetics can injure your gums, soft tissues, jaws, and your remaining teeth. If the base of your denture has been damaged, call Dr. Buchupally right away for further instructions.

How to handle a broken denture: If your denture breaks, be sure to remove it from your mouth and do not wear it again until you are cleared by Dr. Buchupally. Wearing broken dentures can cause the damage to get worse. Never try to repair your dentures yourself with things like superglue or other household items. These are not biocompatible and could make you very ill.

How we treat broken dentures: How we treat your broken dentures will depend on the severity of the damage. In some cases, we can use resin to fill in a small chip or crack, while in other instances the denture may need to be readjusted to regain a proper fit. However, please be advised that you may end up needing a brand-new denture if it cannot be repaired. This could be a great opportunity for you to consider upgrading to an implant denture!

Learn More About Dentures

Learn More About Dental Implants

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? Often called “extruded” or partially dislodged, your teeth may become loose gradually over time, or as the result of an injury. Even if your tooth does not hurt, if it is loose it’s in danger of falling out.

How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: If you are experiencing a loose permanent tooth, first, call Dr. Buchupally. Next avoid using the tooth to eat with, and do not touch it or move it with your tongue or fingers.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: If you have a loose permanent tooth, we will do our best to save it. It may need to be splinted into place so it can gradually reintegrate; however, if it cannot be saved, we can discuss extraction and replacement solutions such as bridges or dental implants.

Learn More About Tooth Extractions

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy 

Learn More About Sports Mouthguards

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

 Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? Cuts or lacerations to the mouth can bleed quite a bit, and be very alarming, but Dr. Buchupally may be able to assist you in this type of dental emergency, which can be very common during sports.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: First, clean the area gently to remove any debris or bacteria. Apply pressure to the wound with a clean washcloth or gauze until the bleeding stops. You can also apply an ice pack or cold compress to the face over the affected area to reduce swelling and numb pain.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If necessary, Dr. Buchupally can stitch the wound closed to help keep the injury clean and stop bleeding. However, if bleeding has not stopped on its own within ten minutes, please head straight to your local emergency room.

Learn More About Sports Mouthguards

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Though it may not seem like an urgent matter, jaw pain can easily interfere with your daily life and can even lead to serious oral health problems.

How you should handle jaw pain: If you are experiencing jaw pain, please give us a call as soon as possible. We can give you more detailed instructions over the phone. Generally, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers and apply an ice pack to ease swelling and discomfort; however, if you have broken or dislocated your jaw, you should go straight to the emergency room first. Dr. Buchupally will be happy to make any repairs to your smile once you are released.

How we treat jaw pain: Bruxism (teeth grinding) treatments with a custom-made mouthguard can help correct jaw pain. Dr. Buchupally also offers TMJ therapy, which can help you avoid serious problems later in life. If your pain is caused by impacted wisdom teeth, we can schedule an extraction. If you need to head to the emergency room first, contact us once you’re ready and we can help you by fixing damaged teeth or replacing lost ones once you’ve been discharged.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Learn More About TMJ Therapy

Learn More About Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

If you have something stuck between your teeth, never use tweezers, toothpicks, or any other sharp implement to attempt to dislodge it. You could accidentally injure your soft tissues or even push the debris further between your teeth in the process. Instead, try flossing with dental floss, or rinsing with water. If you still cannot get it clear, please call Meadow Park Family Dentistry and we can schedule you for an emergency appointment to help clear it away.