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Emergency Dentist — Minot, ND

Don’t Put Off Care, Give Us a Call

Woman in need of emergency dentistry holding jaw in pain

When an emergency occurs, it’s usually very clear what you should do next. However, dental emergencies are not always so simple. Instead of going to an emergency room or calling 911, it may be a better option to call our dental office when you have a dental issue. Whether your tooth is infected due to long-term decay, or you suffered trauma from an oral injury, don’t let your dental pain go by the wayside. Call our office and our dentists will get you seen as soon as possible for emergency dentistry in Minot.

Why Choose Souris Valley Dental Group for Emergency Dental Care?

  • Conveniently Opened Five Days a Week
  • Caring Dental Team Treats You Like Family
  • Multiple Providers Under One Roof

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Woman who need emergency dentistry holding jaw

  • Same-Day Appointment – When you contact our office, we’ll provide immediate first-aid guidance to manage your symptoms, and we’ll do our best to schedule your visit as soon as possible.
  • Comprehensive Exam – A thorough examination is necessary to identify the source and extent of your dental emergency. We might need to take X-rays to help with this assessment.
  • Review Findings – Once we understand your situation, we’ll devise a tailored treatment plan for you. We’ll help you fully comprehend the expected costs and treatment timeline before proceeding with any recommendations.
  • Giving You the Care You Need – Emergency care ranges from simple procedures like fillings to more complex treatments like root canal treatment. Regardless of your needs, our friendly and dependable team is dedicated to relieving your discomfort and restoring your smile.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies can largely vary, however, no matter what type of emergency you’re dealing with, you should always call our office right away. Doing this increases the chances that you’ll be able to be seen the same day. Furthermore, calling us gives you a chance to get helpful advice from our team members. Until you do arrive, here’s what you can do to manage your comfort:

Understanding the Cost of Dental Emergencies 

Woman holding cheek while talking to emergency dentist

The cost of emergency dentistry in Minot cannot be determined until you schedule an appointment to see our team. Once we’ve evaluated your situation, you can expect to receive a personalized treatment plan that includes an estimated cost breakdown. While it might seem expensive, the reality is medical emergencies are costlier than dental injuries. We will thoroughly explain how much you can expect to pay for your treatment before we begin, and we will identify ways to keep it affordable.

Every Dental Emergency is Different

Woman smiling in Minot

Dental emergencies largely vary in cost depending on the severity of the issue. For example, teeth damaged by decay may only need a cleaning and filling to stop the discomfort. However, the source of your pain could also be due to an infection inside the tooth, which requires root canal therapy and a crown. No matter what the cost of your emergency might be, our dentists and team will work with you to build a treatment plan that’s both within your means and gets you out of discomfort fast.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Dental Insurance paperwork in Minot

While some dental insurance carriers offer some form of coverage, others do not, so you’ll need to review your plan before committing to treatment. You will likely receive one emergency exam per year, and most plans offer partial coverage (50-80%) for various restorative services, such as dental fillings, crowns, root canals, tooth extractions, etc. Your annual maximum will be considered before your insurance pays for any type of treatment, so you’ll need to confirm with your insurance company as to how much you can expect to pay after they’ve paid their portion.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Money and dental instruments in Minot

Because dental emergencies range in all shapes and sizes, treatment can be costly. Whether you’re insured or not, we offer alternative payment methods to help you stay within your budget, such as:

  • Dental financing through CareCredit, which allows you to sign up for a payment plan at low or zero interest
  • Our Souris Valley Perks Program requires a small annual fee but provides a 15% discount on all services

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Man seeing dentist in Minot

It’s impossible to avoid all dental emergencies. However, there are many instances that can be avoided if you commit to taking better care of your oral health. Unchecked infections and damage can lead to costly and timely procedures, but with proper at-home oral hygiene practices and regular dental checkups and cleanings, you can keep more money in your pocket and enjoy a damage-free smile. In fact, Cigna Health estimates that individuals who practice preventive care can save 31% in dental costs over five years, as opposed to those who don’t seek preventive care and see a 43% increase in their annual dental costs.

The moment you recognize there is a problem with one of your teeth or your gums, don’t wait to call our office. It’s important that you schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Minot so you can get the help you need before your condition worsens. We’ll work quickly to alleviate painful symptoms and address the underlying issue. Even if you’re worried about the potential cost, remember that the longer you wait to seek help, the more money you’ll spend later on to fix a more serious problem.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Woman flossing to prevent dental emergencies

While dental emergencies are impossible to avoid entirely, you can dramatically reduce your risk by practicing a few habits every day. This includes:

  • Brushing twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste
  • Flossing at least once a day
  • Visiting our dental office once every six months for exams and cleanings
  • Never chewing on inedible objects or using your teeth as a tool
  • Wearing protective mouthguards when playing contact sports or if you have bruxism

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? If you think that the “wait and see” approach is an option, it isn’t! Remember, your pain receptors are designed to signal that something is wrong. So, you should contact our emergency dentist in Minot when the symptoms first arise.

How You Should Handle a Toothache For short-term pain relief, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and take OTC pain medication as directed. We also recommend rinsing with warm saltwater periodically to help prevent an infection from forming.

How We Treat Toothaches When you arrive at our Minot dental office, we will ask you a few questions about your symptoms and take a look at your X-rays. Then, we will examine your tooth, share our findings, and help you decide the best way to move forward.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Any kind of dental injury, including a chipped tooth, warrants a call to our Minot dental office. That way, we can learn more about the extent of the damage and, if necessary, schedule a same-day appointment.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth First, avoid doing anything that could potentially damage your tooth further, like chewing on that side of your mouth. Second, rinse your mouth thoroughly with clean, room-temperature water to remove debris from the area. Third, cover your tooth with some sugar-free gum to prevent a soft tissue injury.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth The two most common treatments for chipped teeth are dental bonding and veneers. Our recommendation for which one to choose will depend on several factors, including how large the chip is.

Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? If you can actually see the crack on your tooth, then you need to call us ASAP so we can intervene before it splits down the middle or an infection develops. Even if you can’t see the damage (but you’re experiencing symptoms of a cracked tooth, like persistent sensitivity), you should schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Minot.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth As we mentioned above, it’s of the utmost importance that you reach out to us right away to schedule an appointment. Additionally, you should steer clear of crunchy, acidic, spicy, and sugary foods. Instead, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and rinse with clean, lukewarm water periodically to prevent plaque, food particles, and other debris from collecting on your tooth.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth The treatment we recommend will depend largely on one thing: the severity of the crack. If it’s small enough that your tooth can be saved, then a dental crown may be the solution. If it’s large enough that your tooth can’t be saved, then we will need to remove it.

Very Sensitive Teeth

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Most of the time, tooth sensitivity isn’t a dental emergency. However, it can be quite uncomfortable and is often a sign of a more serious issue that needs to be addressed. If you have new or worsening sensitivity, or you feel sharp pain, you should have this examined at your earliest convenience.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: To reduce discomfort, you may benefit from avoiding foods that are especially hot, cold, spicy, acidic, and sugary. It is also important to maintain an excellent oral hygiene routine and drink plenty of water. If needed, over-the-counter pain relievers can also help.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: Before we can treat your sensitivity, we need to figure out what the issue is. We will begin by examining your smile. Then, we might recommend specialized dental products, prescription toothpaste, a dental filling, or another treatment.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Fillings

Knocked-Out Tooth

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes, knocked-out teeth are always urgent dental emergencies that need to be addressed as soon as possible. For any chance of saving your tooth, you need to see an emergency dentist right away.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: If possible, try to find your knocked-out tooth. Rinse it off with water and try to return it to the socket. Your tooth needs to remain moist. If you can’t get it back into its socket, put it in a container or milk or saliva instead. Alternatively, you can keep your tooth in your cheek. Just be careful not to keep it in water because this can result in additional damage to the root of your tooth. Give your dentist a call to let us know that you’re on your way.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: If you can see us right away, we will do everything we can to reimplant your tooth. This is done by carefully repositioning it in the socket and splinting it to the neighboring teeth. This way, it can remain stationary, so it is able to heal back into its place. If we aren’t able to save your tooth, we can discuss tooth replacement options, like dental bridges and dental implants.

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Learn More About Dental Implants

Lost Filling or Crown

Is a Lost-Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? You don’t have to stop what you are doing and beeline to the dental office, but you should still call us to make us aware of your situation. Even if your lost restoration isn’t causing you any pain, it is leaving your tooth vulnerable to additional damage. Fillings are crowns are long-lasting, but they eventually need to be replaced.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: If you can, try to put your restoration back into place using dental wax. Avoid chewing on that side of your mouth until you have it repaired.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: If your restoration still appears to be in good shape, we might be able to put it back into place. However, we will also take the time to figure out why it came out in the first place. This way, we can take steps to keep it from happening again.

Learn More About Tooth-Colored Filling

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Broken Denture

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? As a matter of fact, yes – a broken denture is a dental emergency. Using this device could quickly injure your gums, remaining teeth, and soft mouth tissues. Given that fact, you should quickly see your dentist if your denture’s teeth or base have been damaged.

How you should handle a broken denture: Before anything else, make sure to not wear the broken denture. Doing so would hurt your mouth, scratch your gums or cause worse damage. The better option is to visit our office for denture repairs, as trying to fix the dentures yourself can cause risky effects.

How we treat broken dentures: Our team has several ways to treat broken dentures, depending on the devices’ level of damage. One method would be to use composite resin to fill in a small chip or crack. Alternatively, we may have to adjust the denture’s fit by relining it. Two final choices would be to replace the appliance or switch you to implant dentures.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Are loose permanent teeth a dental emergency? Even if they seem benign, loose permanent teeth are an urgent problem. They could fall out of your mouth if left untreated, causing ugly smile gaps as a result. Those spaces would also trigger a large decline in your oral health.

How you should handle loose permanent teeth: Firstly, make sure to call our office as soon as possible. Treating your loose teeth quickly is crucial to keeping them safe. While you wait for care, you should also not touch the teeth or eat hard or sticky foods. It’d be better to clean your mouth by swishing warm water.

How we treat loose permanent teeth: Our dental team will try to save your teeth before trying other options. For example, we may place dental splints or perform other treatments. If saving the teeth isn’t possible, we’ll extract them and fill the resulting gaps with dental implants.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue  

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? Yes – an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue usually is a dental emergency. In many cases, this damage results from cuts that bleed a lot and need quick care. The risk to oral health is even greater if the injury is sports-related.

How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: First of all, please rinse your injury with water to wash away debris and bacteria. Next would be to use painkillers or ice packs to manage any pain or swelling. That said, only use these items when the bleeding goes down.

How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: If the injury is small and doesn’t bleed much, our dentists could clean the wound and stitch it closed. A larger injury would warrant a trip to the ER  – bleeding that doesn’t end within 10 minutes indicates a serious issue.

Learn More About Mouthguards

 Jaw Pain  

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? Jaw pain isn’t often a dental emergency, though its aches can affect your everyday life a little. However, this discomfort needs urgent care if it’s severe and chronic.

How you should handle jaw pain: Your first move should be to call our office; we’ll provide instructions over the phone to help you manage. For example, we may recommend OTC pain relievers, the use of ice packs, and similar tips. You’ll need to go to an ER if your jaw is broken or dislocated, though. Our team will fix up your smile once this more dire problem is solved.

How we treat jaw pain: Most instance of jaw pain result from teeth grinding, so we could provide you with a custom mouthguard. This device prevents dental injuries that can cause facial muscles to ache.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is something stuck between the teeth a dental emergency? An object stuck between your teeth is almost never a dental emergency. Still, it may become serious if it’s causing a lot of pain. You should contact us in that case so we can check the problem and solve it.

How you should handle something stuck between the teeth: The most important rule is to not use tweezers, toothpicks, and other sharp objects to dislodge the debris. Instead, just floss near the affected area and do a vigorous mouth rinse.

How we treat something stuck between the teeth: Our practice’s dentists are trained and experienced enough to remove foreign objects from between teeth. Given that fact, please let us help if you can’t dislodge the offending material.

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