Emergency Dentist – Barnegat, NJ 

Every Emergency Is Different

In most cases, an emergency dental appointment is relatively low-priced. Our team’s first priority will be getting you out of pain. Then, we’ll closely examine your smile to determine which procedures you’ll require to get your smile back on the right track.

Until we know the extent of the damage and the treatment required, it’s basically impossible for us to give you a cost estimate. Before we go through with any treatment, though, your emergency dentist in Barnegat will explain their recommendations in addition to their pricing information. That way, there will be no unpleasant surprises.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Dental insurance companies understand that accidents happen, so they generally provide some degree of coverage for emergency dentistry. For instance, many of them cover one emergency exam per year. Certain treatments that are often associated with dental emergencies, such as dental crowns and root canal therapy, generally receive anywhere from 50% to 80% coverage, depending on the specifics of your plan.

At NU Dental of Barnegat, we’re in-network with many of the nation’s leading dental insurance providers. However, we’ll also work with out-of-network plans to help you get the most out of your benefits!

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

As an alternative to insurance, we have our own in-house dental membership plan. All three tiers simply require a flat yearly fee, which gives you FREE preventive care as well as discounts on most of our other services. Plus, there’s none of the red tape that comes with traditional insurance.

We can also help you apply for a low- to no-interest loan through CareCredit. This trusted financing company has helped millions of Americans fit their dental and medical care into their budgets.

Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Although some dental emergencies arise suddenly and cannot be avoided, most of them are due to unchecked infection or other damage that has been steadily worsening for some time. Investing your time and money into good at-home oral hygiene habits and routine dental checkups could potentially save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on emergency dental care.

Another way to lower your emergency dental bills is to contact our office as soon as you can after noticing that something is amiss. Oral health problems tend to worsen as time passes. Not only can this make your pain more intense, but you may end up requiring more invasive and expensive treatment than you would have if you’d scheduled an appointment with us right away.

Visit Our Dental Office Regularly

You might be tempted to not attend your six-month dental checkups if your teeth feel fine, but cavities and oral infections can develop for weeks or months before they cause any discomfort. By that point, they might require more invasive (and expensive) procedures than they would have if they’d been caught in their early stages. That’s where routine checkups and cleanings come in. One of our doctors can catch any potential emergencies early enough that he can stop them in their tracks. Our team can also thoroughly clean plaque and tartar deposits from your teeth that you may have missed when brushing and flossing at home.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene at Home

Of course, keeping your smile healthy between checkups also involves establishing a daily oral hygiene routine. By brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash every day, you can minimize the buildup of bacteria that could contribute to tooth decay, gum disease, and other painful dental conditions. Plus, using a toothpaste with fluoride can make your tooth enamel stronger against cavities and breakage.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Snacking on sugary sweets throughout the day is a recipe for disaster. The cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar particles in the foods and drinks you consume, so it’s best to not give them too much fuel. Instead, add plenty of mouth-healthy items to your diet, such as lean proteins, leafy greens, and fresh fruits.

Wear a Mouthguard

One common reason why patients have to visit an emergency dental office in Barnegat is a sports-related mouth injury. A sudden impact to the face could easily break or knock out a tooth, which is why protecting your smile is crucial. We can make you a custom mouthguard that comfortably shields your teeth during your games or practices.

You should also protect your teeth from nighttime teeth grinding. Over time, this condition (called bruxism) can wear down your tooth enamel, increasing your risk of decay, fracture, and painful sensitivity. We can also provide you with a personalized nightguard that you wear to bed, preventing your upper and lower teeth from damaging each other while you sleep.

Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools

Your teeth are not designed to do anything more strenuous than chew food. Although they’re durable, you should avoid using your teeth to open a container or bottle. It could all too easily chip or crack a tooth. Using your teeth may seem quicker and more convenient, but you may end up spending more time and money on urgent dental care. Instead, take a few moments to grab a bottle opener, box cutter, or whatever tool is actually designed to get the job done.

Do I Need to Go to the Emergency Room?

When it comes to emergencies of the mouth, it’s usually better to call a dentist instead of an emergency room. Simply put, most hospital emergency rooms aren’t equipped or staffed to properly deal with dental infections or broken teeth. At most, they might give you an antibiotic or a pain reliever, but they won’t be able to solve the underlying problem. One of our doctors will be able to deal with such dental issues in a timely manner. However, if you have a broken jaw, notice bleeding that doesn’t stop, or have trouble breathing, you should go to the hospital first. Once your medical emergency has been taken care of, we’ll be here to help with your teeth and gums.

Is It Ok to Wait to Make an Appointment?

It can be hard to make room in your schedule for an unplanned dental visit, but you can’t put off an appointment for too long. Leaving a broken tooth alone for too long could lead to an infection that eventually causes irreversible damage. Not bringing a lost tooth to the dentist in less than an hour could cost you the chance to have it replanted. Toothaches that go untreated might eventually worsen to the point where root canal therapy is no longer a viable option. Time is of the essence, so it’s best to call our office immediately once you think you have a potential dental emergency on your hands.

Will My Problematic Tooth Need to Be Removed?

That certainly won’t be our first choice if we can help it. Every tooth plays an important role in maintaining a balanced, functional bite. Losing even one could increase your risk of multiple oral health problems, including additional tooth loss. You’d need to invest in a potentially costly dental prosthetic. Fortunately, a tooth extraction won’t be necessary if root canal therapy or a carefully chosen dental restoration can be used to reverse the damage that has already been done and prevent future issues.

Will My Insurance Cover Emergency Dental Treatment?

You can usually expect your insurance to pay for at least one emergency visit every year. Our team will work alongside your insurance carrier on your behalf to make sure your treatment is paid for in full while also helping you save as much money as possible on out-of-pocket costs. If you have trouble paying your remaining balance, we can discuss financing solutions that will let you break up the cost and pay it in a series of installments.

Will My Toothache Go Away On Its Own?

A toothache typically does not go away on its own. In some cases, the discomfort can be a result of something outside or around the affected tooth that may resolve on its own, like irritation in the surrounding gums. However, another cause can be an infection in the pulp. If left untreated, it can damage the inner nerves and eliminate your ability to register pain. While you won’t feel the toothache anymore, it doesn’t mean your condition has improved. To avoid any complications like this, you’ll want to visit your dentist so that they can assess your mouth and address the root of the problem.

What Does Throbbing Tooth Pain Mean?

If you’re experiencing throbbing tooth pain, it’s likely an indication of inflammation within the tooth or an infection. Having cracks or a cavity can allow air and harmful bacteria to access the sensitive inner layer (the pulp) of your pearly whites. Any pain will then be a result of irritation or a possible infection in the nerves. This can also happen if there are decayed particles. If there aren’t any damage, decay, or cavities, then a throbbing in your teeth may be caused by chronic teeth clenching and/or grinding (bruxism).

What Is Causing My Jaw Pain?

In many cases, jaw pain can be due to chronic teeth grinding and clenching, as this can put excessive pressure or stress on the jaw joints. This condition can also be a result of other problems, such as facial or jaw injuries that never healed efficiently or arthritis. If you have misalignment issues in your bite, it can develop TMJ disorder (TMD), which negatively affects the joints connecting the jaw to your skull. By visiting our team, our dentists can assess your situation and determine the source of your jaw discomfort before developing a custom treatment plan to relieve your condition in the long run.

Are Toothpicks Safe to Use?

While toothpicks are commonly used for getting stuck food out of your mouth, they usually aren’t very safe for your oral health. This is especially so with wooden toothpicks. Not only can they easily damage your gums and tooth enamel, but they can also splinter and break inside your mouth. This can lead to the opposite result you were expecting, as food, debris, and wooden particles can end up being pushed further in between your pearly whites, or even under your gum line. You’ll also be at risk of swallowing the toothpick, which can be dangerous. For this reason, you should only use a toothpick as a last resort.