Emergency Dentist — Astoria, NY
Call Us to Get Out of Pain Now
A dental emergency is anything that is bleeding, broken, or causing you pain in your mouth. If you have experienced something that you believe requires urgent care, it is important that you get in touch with your emergency dentist in Astoria right away. Dr. Eduart Shkurti will provide the prompt, professional, and effective care you or your loved one need. Sometimes, receiving treatment right away can make all the difference in saving your smile -- so don’t delay!
Why Choose ED Family Dental for Emergency Dental Care?
- Offer Same-Day Emergency Appointments
- We Accept Dental Insurance and Financing Options
- Kind, Caring and Experienced Dentist
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
- When you get in touch with ED Family Dental, we’ll do everything we can to get you seen the same day that you call. Not only do we offer same-day appointments, but we’re happy to be operating during weekends and evening hours of the day for added convenience. Our team will provide first-aid tips over the phone as well so you can manage your emergency ahead of your visit.
- Our team will get you checked in and bring you to an operatory as soon as you arrive. Dr. Shkurti will perform an emergency exam and gather as much information about your dental emergency as possible. This may include digital X-rays to confirm the severity, location, and extent of your dental problem.
- After completing your exam and helping relieve any dental pain you have, he’ll go over his recommended treatment plan. This will include all estimated costs as well as how long he expects treatment to take (i.e. one visit vs. additional follow-ups) as it can vary based on your issue.
- Common treatments for dental emergencies include dental fillings and crowns, root canal therapy, and tooth extractions, but he may recommend other options if needed.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in many different forms, many of which have their own unique steps for managing ahead of a dental appointment. In order to provide the most effective treatment, it’s essential that you contact our office after any of the following dental emergencies and keep these first-aid tips in mind.
Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies
If you’ve already dealt with a severe toothache or a broken or knocked-out tooth, then the last thing you want to do is go through the same situation again. No dental emergency is 100% preventable. After all, you can’t predict when you’re going to have a bad fall or an accident that breaks your tooth. However, there are a few precautions you can take to greatly reduce the risk of permanent damage to your smile. Following these five simple steps can go a long way toward preventing dental emergencies in Astoria.
Visit Our Dental Office Regularly
Many people believe they only need to see a dentist when their tooth starts hurting, but by that point, it’s very likely that serious, irreversible damage has already occurred. You should still visit ED Family Dental for a routine checkup and cleaning twice a year, even if your teeth and gums feel perfectly fine. Dr. Shkurti can spot even the smallest of warning signs that you might be headed for a dental emergency. From there, he can address the issue before a problem even develops, saving you quite a bit of time and money (not to mention pain) later on.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home
Daily brushing and flossing do a whole lost more than keep your breath fresh. Without regular oral hygiene, bacteria-filled plaque and tartar begin to build up on your teeth and gums. They leave behind an acidic waste product that irritates your gum tissue and erodes your tooth enamel, increasing for your risk for gum disease and tooth decay, respectively. Make sure to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash every single day. Using a toothpaste with fluoride can strengthen your teeth, making them less susceptible to cavities and breakage.
Stick to a Nutritious Diet
The more often you consume sugary or starchy foods and beverages, the more quickly dangerous bacteria accumulate in your mouth. Indulging in snacks like candy or potato chips is fine every now and then, but moderation is key. Also, try to eat plenty of mouth-healthy foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain vitamins that encourage healthy gums, and calcium-rich dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese keep your teeth and jawbone strong.
Wear a Mouthguard
As many as 40% of all dental injuries are related to sports, which is why we can’t recommend wearing a mouthguard enough if you’re an athlete. Our team can create a personalized mouthguard that fits comfortably over your teeth and delivers more protection than the store-bought versions. On a similar note, ask Dr. Shkurti about a nightguard if you suffer from bruxism (chronic nighttime teeth grinding). Wearing a custom nightguard shields your pearly whites from weakening or fracturing due to long-term pressure from clenching and grinding.
Avoid Using Your Teeth as Tools
The enamel of your teeth is the strongest material in your body, even more so than bone. However, teeth were not designed to do more than help you bite and chew. If you’re in a rush, you might be tempted to crack open a bottle or package with your teeth, but it’s just not worth the risk. When you use your teeth as tools, it’s all too easy to crack a tooth, scratch your gums, or sustain some kind of oral injury that requires you to head to our emergency dental office in Astoria. Always grab the right tool for the job instead; your smile will thank you!
Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies
Every smile needs different treatments, and the amount you’ll end up paying for dental care will vary based on what your dental concerns. Your first priority should always be to stop your pain and prevent further damage, but rest assured that we will only recommend the treatments that you actually need to restore and protect your smile. We’ll also take the time to review your payment options with you so that you can fit your treatment into your budget.
Every Dental Emergency is Different
As nerve-wracking as your initial emergency visit is likely to be, you’ll be happy to know that this first appointment – where we check your mouth, diagnose the issue, and create a treatment plan based on our findings – comes at a relatively low cost. As for the treatment, the exact procedures will vary based on the situation, so the final cost of care isn’t something you’ll know until a full examination is performed. The treatment will not move forward until an estimate has been made.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
If you have a dental insurance plan, check with your carrier about what sort of benefits are available for emergency care. Most of the time, you can expect at least one emergency exam per year to be covered. Also, insurance will usually help pay 50% to 80% of the cost of some of the treatments most closely associated with emergency dentistry, such as root canal therapy and dental crowns.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
Not everyone has dental insurance – we understand that. We are in-network with a variety of plans (including Aetna, Metlife, and Delta Dental), but we also have flexible financing options in the event that you can’t rely on insurance to fully cover the cost of care. We work with a third-party financier known as CareCredit that can create low-to-no-interest payment plans spread out over a matter of months. We can discuss CareCredit and other payment options during your emergency consultation after we figure out the ideal next steps in your treatment plan.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
There are dental emergencies that you simply can’t predict. You might lose a tooth in an automobile accident or even simply tripping on the sidewalk, for example. There are, however, emergencies that you can actively work to prevent, such as those that are the result of decay, infection, and gradual damage over time. A good oral hygiene routine and regular dental checkups could go a long way towards saving you hundreds or thousands of dollars in the future on urgent dental care. Furthermore, having a potential emergency treated right away could stop it from turning into an even bigger problem. You might be worried about the initial cost, but putting off treatment for too long means living with even worse pain, and it might result in requiring a more expensive treatment than you might not have needed otherwise.
Dental Emergency FAQs
If you’ve never had to address a dental emergency before, you may have questions not only on how to handle one if it occurs, or whether or not you’re experiencing one right now. At Ed Family Dental, our goal is to keep patients as informed as possible. That’s why we’ve included a handful of the most common questions our office hears for added convenience. With that said, we are happy to hear any concerns you may have, so feel free to call us at any time!
Will my toothache go away on its own?
In most cases, a toothache won’t go away on its own after it has appeared. That’s why you should always give our office a call if you notice discomfort just so we can confirm no underlying issues are present. Since there are so many potential causes for toothaches, it’s always better to rule them out early before they turn serious. If pain is stemming from areas around the tooth, rather than from the inside, it may go away on its own.
How long can a restoration be temporarily attached?
The reality is even if you are able to reattach a restoration that came off, there’s no guarantee it will stay on for very long. In fact, crowns reseated with dental adhesive usually don’t stay on longer than a few days. Furthermore, dental fillings can’t be placed back into the mouth at all; instead, you’ll simply need to avoid chewing on the damaged and exposed tooth. The same applies for teeth with dental crowns, even if it has been reseated.
What if I can’t afford emergency dentistry?
At the end of the day, our office will not deny emergency treatment if you are experiencing an urgent dental issue, especially pain. If you don’t have dental insurance at this time, there are other options available to you that make care more affordable. For example, we do accept third-party financing through CareCredit, allowing you to make monthly installments on care. The last thing you should do is put off care when you need it as doing so can lead to bigger problems that only cost more to treat.
Can the emergency room remove a tooth?
If you need to have a tooth extracted, whether it’s due to an injury or infection, only a licensed dentist can perform treatment. In fact, it’s illegal for someone without the right training or credentials to remove teeth, including those who may work in a hospital. In most cases, emergency rooms will provide you with painkillers, antibiotics, and tell you to go to a dentist. That’s why we recommend that you visit our office first. After all, you may not need to have your tooth extracted at all and instead only need root canal therapy.
Do chipped teeth heal?
Chipped teeth do not have the ability to heal on their own. Tooth enamel is strong, but it cannot heal itself like other areas of the body can. If your tooth has minor or severe chips, you should get in touch with us as soon as you are able to. From there, we can go over your cosmetic and restorative treatment options.