Emergency Dentist Hanover

In a Dental Crisis? We’re Ready to Help!

Hanover emergency dentist shaking hands with a patient

We understand that a cracked or knocked-out tooth can be worrisome and even induce panic, but our team at Dental Designs of Maryland is here to put your mind at ease. Offering same-day emergency dental appointments, we will work quickly to help you out of pain while also targeting the problem area and restoring your smile to a healthy, functional state. If you or a loved one need help, call our office right away so that our emergency dentists in Hanover can get you the care you need.

Why Choose Dental Designs of Maryland for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day Dental Emergency Appointments
  • In-House Dental Implant Placement Available
  • CEREC Technology for Same-Day Dental Crowns

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Hanover emergency dentist smiling outside of dental treatment room
  • Call to schedule an appointment – Offering same-day appointments, we’ll work quickly to get you in as soon as possible so that we can help you out of pain. In the meantime, we’ll offer helpful first-aid tips you can use at home.
  • Undergoing an examination – We’ll escort you back to a treatment room to undergo diagnostic imaging and a visual examination to determine the problem and prepare a treatment plan. Once we’ve determined how best to approach your care, we will go over the plan with you.
  • Get the help you need – If you approve of the proposed plan, we will begin to target the damaged or infected area of your smile and work to fully restore your oral health.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

You may not think your dental injury is serious, but it’s always best to inquire from a professional just in case. If you’re not sure what kind of dental accident is considered an “emergency,” view the list below. Here, you’ll find a list of common dental emergencies that our office will happily treat.

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Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? That depends largely on the severity of your symptoms and how long they’ve persisted. For example, if you’ve been dealing with a sharp, stabbing pain for several days now, you should schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Hanover right away.

How You Should Handle a Toothache There are a few steps we recommend taking to alleviate your discomfort and protect your tooth from harm until your appointment with us, including rinsing periodically with warm saltwater, taking OTC pain medication as directed, and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Toothaches That depends entirely on your unique dental needs! For example, if your toothache is stemming from a small cavity, then a tooth-colored filling may be all that’s needed to restore your healthy, pain-free smile. If it’s a serious infection, on the other hand, then a root canal may be needed.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Oftentimes, chipped teeth don’t require same-day care. That said, you should still call us right away so we can schedule an appointment within the next day or two.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth At home, use clean, room-temperature water to gently rinse your mouth, removing food particles and other debris in the process. Then, use some sugar-free gum to cover the tooth. This will help prevent it from breaking further or cutting the soft tissue in your mouth.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth We offer several solutions, including metal-free restorations and veneers. Ultimately, the one we recommend for you will depend on your unique dental needs. Rest assured, we will review all of your treatment options at your visit to ensure you feel completely confident moving forward with your treatment plan.

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Cracked Tooth  

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes. In fact, even if the crack is barely noticeable, we recommend scheduling an emergency appointment with us so we can intervene before it gets worse.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth Calling us to schedule an emergency appointment is an important first step. Outside of that, we recommend rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water, not chewing on that side of your mouth, and taking OTC pain medication to alleviate any discomfort you’re experiencing temporarily.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth After taking the necessary X-rays and conducting a visual exam, we will review your treatment options. Our goal is always to save your tooth, but if that’s not possible, we will remove it before putting a dental bridge or implant in its place.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL BRIDGES

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Any abnormal dental symptoms shouldn’t be ignored, which is why we recommend calling our Hanover office if you’re struggling with persistent sensitivity. Over the phone, we will determine how urgent the situation is and schedule a same-day visit, if necessary.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth Until your appointment, there’s really only one thing you can do: try to alleviate your symptoms. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can do this, including eating soft, bland foods, taking OTC pain medication as directed, and rinsing with warm saltwater periodically.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth The treatment we recommend will depend entirely on what your sensitivity is stemming from. For example, if it’s a crack in your enamel, then a dental crown may be needed. If it’s a serious infection, then a root canal will likely be the answer.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? A knocked-out tooth absolutely warrants a visit with our emergency dentist in Hanover. So, don’t wait – call us ASAP to schedule an appointment with us within the hour.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth Since the tooth will start to die after only 15 minutes, it’s important that you put it back in its socket. If it doesn’t slide back into position easily, then do the next best thing: place it in a clean container filled with milk or saline solution. Then, bring it with you to our office.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth Our goal is always to save your natural teeth. Unfortunately, there are some cases when that’s not possible. If the tooth was badly damaged or lost, for example, then we will need to replace it with a dental bridge or implant instead.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL BRIDGES

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown   

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? If you can get to our office the same day, we highly recommend it. That said, your tooth isn’t in immediate danger; calling us to schedule an appointment within the next day or two should suffice.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown There are a few steps we recommend taking, starting with placing your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping. You also should rinse periodically with clean, room-temperature water, not chew on that side of your mouth, and avoid spicy, acidic, and sugary foods until we have a chance to provide the restorative care needed.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns In addition to offering tooth-colored dental fillings, we offer CEREC same-day dental crowns. So, in both cases, we can restore the look, health, and strength of your tooth at your visit. We can also re-cement your dental crown back in place if it’s in good condition and is relatively new.

Broken Denture

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Broken dentures do warrant an immediate call to our office. After all, continuing to wear yours can lead to several problems, including painful mouth sores.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture In addition to scheduling an appointment with our team at Dental Designs of Maryland, we recommend putting your denture in a small, clean container to prevent it from breaking any further.

How We Treat Broken Dentures First, we will assess the damage and determine if we can repair your denture at our office. If the damage is so severe that it isn’t possible, then we will begin the process of having a new one made.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTURES

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? A loose tooth does warrant an immediate call to our office, especially if it feels like it’s on the brink of falling out. So, don’t wait – call us right away so a helpful member of our team can schedule an emergency appointment for you.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth If you have a loose tooth in Hanover, it’s important that you don’t chew on that side of your mouth, especially crunchy and sticky foods. You also shouldn’t wiggle the tooth with your tongue or touch it with your finger.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth Sometimes, a dental splint can be used to help a loose tooth heal back in place. If that’s not possible, then we will need to extract the tooth before replacing it with a custom dental bridge or implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL BRIDGES

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Not usually, no. Of course, there are some exceptions, including if the cut is bleeding uncontrollably.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue Go to the sink and rinse your mouth gently with clean, cool water. Once you locate the cut, use some gauze or a clean, damp washcloth to apply pressure to it, stopping the bleeding in the process.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue Soft tissue injuries usually don’t require a visit to our office. However, you should call 911 or go to the ER if the cut is bleeding uncontrollably or you’re experiencing any other potentially life-threatening symptoms, like difficulty breathing.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? Jaw pain doesn’t typically require same-day care. With that said, you shouldn’t hesitate to give us a call if you’re experiencing persistent discomfort.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain To alleviate pain and inflammation until your appointment with us, we recommend using cold compresses, sticking to a soft foods diet, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Jaw Pain That depends! If yours is stemming from chronic teeth grinding, then we can have a custom nightguard made. If impacted wisdom teeth are the root of the problem, then we will need to remove them instead!

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Although you might be tempted to do so, don’t reach for a toothpick, tweezers, or anything else sharp. Instead, dissolve some salt in warm water and rinse with the mixture (spitting it out every time). Then, use a clean strand of floss to gently remove the debris from between your teeth.