Woodbridge, VA Dentist
In 3500 BC, the Babylonians and Egyptians used chewing sticks to clean their teeth. Look how far the toothbrush has come! Learn more about the history of the toothbrush from your dentist in Woodbridge.
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Woodbridge Dentist | What to Do in Case of Dental Emergency
Woodbridge Dentist
Accidents always happen. Be sure to know what to do when one arises – it can be the difference of saving a tooth or losing one.
A dental emergency is an injury to your teeth or gums that can be potentially serious. Ignoring one can increase the risk of permanent damage. For all dental emergencies, it is important to contact our office as soon as the injury occurs. Provide detailed information about the injury to your mouth. We will be able to give you instructions on how to care for your mouth in the time before coming to our office. In some instances, we may recommend emergency care.
Here are some common dental injuries and how to care for them.
Knocked-out tooth
Rinse the tooth with water if it’s dirty and try not to remove any attached tissue fragments. Keep the tooth moist at all times by carefully putting the tooth back in place without forcing it back into the socket. If this is not possible, place the tooth in a small container of milk or in a cup of water that contains a pinch of salt. Contact our dental office as quickly as possible.
Chipped or cracked tooth
Save any pieces if possible. Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the injured area as well as remove any small tooth fragments. Apply cold compresses to your mouth to keep down the swelling and relieve pain.
Objects caught between teeth
Carefully try to remove the object using floss. If you cannot get the object out, see your dentist. It is important to never use a pin or sharp instrument to remove the object since you may cause injury to your gums or the surfaces of your teeth.
Soft-tissue injuries
Injuries to your tongue, cheeks, gums and lips can result in bleeding. To control the bleeding, rinse your mouth with mild salt water. Apply a moistened piece of gauze or tea bag to the bleeding site for about 15 minutes. You may also use a cold compress to relieve pain. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, contact our dental office.
You can also take simple precautions to avoid dental emergencies:
• When participating in sports, always wear a mouth guard
• Avoid chewing ice, popcorn kernels and hard candy
• Never use your teeth to cut things – use scissors
If you encounter a dental emergency, always contact our Woodbridge dental office as soon as possible. We can provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to care for your mouth or may ask you to come into the office. If you have any additional dental emergency questions, be sure to contact us.
Tips for Choosing the Right Dentist
Dentist in Woodbridge
If you are in need of a good dentist for you and your family, finding the right one to meet your needs is not as hard as you might think. The first step in finding a dentist starts with considering how well the dentist would be able to accommodate yours and your family’s needs.
Now that you know what you want, the next few steps are simply narrowing down the many choices of dentists that are available. Naturally, you’ll want a dentist who is part of your dental insurance plan, one who is properly licensed and well qualified.
Some of the other things you may want to consider include:
Location
This is a very important factor that often gets overlooked until you actually need to see the dentist. The dental office you choose should be within a convenient driving distance of either your home or work, especially during rush hour or other inconvenient times. You should choose the dentist who is reasonably close and located in an area that is convenient for you and your family to reach.
Hours
There are two considerations that you want to take into account about the dentist you choose:
- Do they have hours that fit your schedule?
- Do they have emergency hours or an emergency service?
Today, more dentists are either staying open later in the day or are offering Saturday hours to meet the needs of their patients. If the dentist is only open when you have to be at work that can be of great inconvenience to you. Plus, you’ll want a dentist you can call for an emergency as well. So choose a dentist that will respond or is part of an emergency network so that treatment can come quickly.
Services & Costs
At this point, you should have narrowed your list to just a few. Now you can call or visit the office and ask a few specific questions so that you can finalize your choice.
Does the dentist provide all the services that you and your family require? Most family dentists offer a comprehensive list of services that can serve the needs of you, your partner and children. However, if someone in your family is in need of special work that generally falls outside a family dentist, then you’ll need to look a little further. Ask about the rates that the dentist charges for their services as well insurances they accept.
Recommendations
Lastly, check online or ask friends, neighbors or family members about recommended dental offices. You can also expand your recommendations by asking your doctor or local pharmacist as they often network with the best dentists in your community. Dentists and their team who are highly spoken about, well liked or provide amazing results will contribute to the longevity of your relationship with your dental provider. Of course, even the most trusted of recommendations may not meet the needs of you and your family, but recommendations are still a good place to research.
Our dentist has provided great to service to our patients. If you would like to share your recent experience at our office, we invite you to leave us a review on our Testimonials page. We would love to hear from you!