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(757) 499-4707 762 Independence Blvd. #794
Virginia Beach, VA 23455

Emergency Dentist – Virginia Beach, VA

We Can Help You Keep Your Natural Smile

White-haired woman with tooth pain; dental emergency in Virginia Beach, VA

At Esparza Family Dentistry, we understand that no emergency is convenient. Our top priority when you walk through our doors is to act effectively and efficiently to ease your discomfort and fix your issue. That's why your Virginia Beach family dentist, Dr. Esparza, and her dental team are dedicated to offering emergency care. If you're in the middle of a dental emergency and don't know where to turn, please call us immediately to request an appointment. Our friendly team works hard to see patients calling for emergency care on the same day, if possible. We are also dedicated to developing custom treatment plans that work with trusted specialists we know, so we can stick with patients from the beginning to the end of their procedures.

Why Choose Esparza Family Dentistry for Emergency Dental Care?

  • Emergency Appointments on Same Day as Call
  • Full Range of Restorative Services
  • Flexible Financing and In-House Benefit Plan Available

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man with toothache visiting emergency dentist in Virginia Beach, VA

The goals of emergency dental care are to put a stop to any pain you’re experiencing, repair any damage to your smile, and restore your oral health. To accomplish these goals, we follow these four steps:

  • Same-Day Appointment: Everything begins with your initial call to our office. We’ll ask about the symptoms you’re experiencing, give whatever tips we can for managing the situation, and set up an emergency appointment (which we’ll schedule on the same day as your call when we can).
  • Emergency Examination: We’ll begin your emergency visit by performing a detailed examination of your smile to see what the problem is. If you’re suffering from severe pain, we’ll also focus on relieving it.
  • Review Findings: Different emergencies call for different kinds of treatments, which is why we’ll always explain our findings to you before we make any recommendations. When going over your options, we’ll let you know how long each treatment will take as well as how much it’s likely to cost.
  • Get the Care You Need: Once a plan has been settled on, we can start treating your smile. We’ll work to resolve your emergency as quickly as possible.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

Being familiar with common types of dental emergencies can make it easier to recognize situations that warrant an emergency dental appointment. Below are some of the emergencies that we often help patients with. Remember that you can still call our office even if you’re not sure that emergency care is needed; our team can help you figure out the best course of action based on your situation.

Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry

Female patient smiling in a dentist’s office

Since every dental emergency is different, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. Since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment, there isn’t a set price. As a result, the best way to get a specific cost is to schedule an appointment with our dedicated emergency dentist in Virginia Beach, Dr. Esparza. In the meantime, you can read on to learn more on the topic of cost, including the factors that play a role.

Why Every Dental Emergency is Different

Woman smiling while sitting in treatment chair

During your exam, we will determine the type of dental injury you’ve sustained, how severe the damage is, and the best restorative treatment (or combination of treatments) that is needed to restore your healthy, pain-free smile. Once we have all of this information, we can create your custom treatment plan and provide you with an estimate of the cost. We’ll also take the time to review the different financial solutions available and answer any remaining questions you have.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?

Patient reviewing dental insurance form on tablet

Are you insured? If so, our team will be more than happy to help you figure out whether the services you receive are covered by your provider. We’re even in-network with Delta Dental Premier and United Concordia! So, don’t hesitate to provide us with your membership information when you arrive at our office. That way, a helpful member of our team can take a look at the fine print and provide you with an estimate of your out-of-pocket expenses.

Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable

Patient calculating cost on desk with prop tooth

Dental insurance isn’t the only financial solution available to our patients in Virginia Beach! They can also save by:

  • Signing up for CareCredit – With trusted third-party financiers like CareCredit, you don’t have to pay for the entire cost of emergency dentistry in one lump sum. Instead, you can select one of their flexible payment plans and space out the price into smaller, more manageable chunks.
  • Joining Our Esparza Family Dental Plan – Our in-house benefit plans are perfect for patients without any dental coverage since they come with several perks, including free preventive care. Just be sure to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

How Taking Care Of Your Smile Can Save You Money

Man smiling at reflection in handheld mirror

Remember, dental emergencies are largely preventable. In that way, habits like brushing twice a day, wearing a mouthguard during sports, and exercising caution with crunchy foods benefit both your smile and your wallet!

It’s also important that we mention here that your biannual checkups help us catch cavities, gum disease, damaged restorations, and other oral health problems early on. So, it’s important that you prioritize them. If you start to experience abnormal symptoms between visits (i.e., persistent sensitivity, bleeding gums, pain when biting down), then call us right away to schedule an exam.

Keys to Preventing Dental Emergencies

Man in white shirt brushing his teeth

Although emergencies aren’t completely avoidable, you can reduce your risk of experiencing them by practicing good oral hygiene and visiting your family dentist in Virginia Beach for your semi-annual checkups and cleanings. This way, we can tackle any small issues we find before they progress into problems that can cause you discomfort or may need more invasive procedures down the road.

Emergency Dentistry FAQs

Typing on keyboard with floating question marks

Are you concerned about not being prepared in case a dental emergency occurs? Reacting quickly and effectively is important in a time-sensitive situation, which is why it’s a good idea to have a plan in place. Being proactive and knowing the closest emergency dentist in Virginia Beach to call could be the difference between saving and losing a tooth. For your convenience, we’ve collected some common questions we receive below. That way, you can get your smile repaired in a timely manner and ease your discomfort.

Should I visit an emergency room or a dentist?

At Esparza Family Dentistry, we’re prepared to handle most emergencies, and we’re only a phone call away. However, some situations require immediate medical attention that our facilities aren’t equipped to handle. Be sure to visit your nearest emergency room for urgent care if you have:

  • Bleeding that won’t stop after applying pressure for 15 minutes.
  • Facial lacerations that may require stitches.
  • A fractured or dislocated jaw.

Once you’ve received the immediate attention you need, our team of dental professionals will be more than happy to complete any necessary dental work.

Will my toothache get better on its own?

If you’re experiencing intense oral pain, something’s wrong. That’s a sure sign that you need emergency assistance. Leaving problems untreated only makes them worse, so it’s best to get in touch with our office right away. A tooth infection can spread to affect other teeth in your mouth and even travel to other areas of your body, putting you in grave danger.

How do I know if I have a true dental emergency?

Most patients who call us are unsure of whether or not their dental issues need immediate attention. The problem with this is that they often leave the issue unaddressed for several days until their pain gets worse. Here are several ways you can tell that you need to call us to set up an appointment right away:

  • Pain that prevents you from sleeping, working, or eating.
  • Moderate or heavy bleeding that won’t stop.
  • Facial swelling or a bump on the gums.
  • A damaged tooth or lost filling.
  • Knocked-out tooth.

Can I take pain medication?

If you have a toothache or are in pain, it’s safe for you to take over-the-counter pain relievers as directed on the packaging. Just remember that treating your problem is still a necessity, even if your pain begins to subside. Certain oral emergencies that are left unaddressed can become dangerous for your overall health. The sooner you get the treatment you need, the less severe the issue will grow to be, keeping you from needing invasive and costly procedures down the road.

If you’re unsure of what to do at the moment, don’t hesitate to call us. We’ll be more than happy to walk you through any needed first aid.

Explore More Services

Preventive Dentistry Check-Ups & Cleanings  Cosmetic DentistryRestorative Dentistry Dental Implants TMJ/Bruxism TherapySee All Our Services

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Yes, especially if it’s persisted for more than 24 hours. At this point, it’s likely that an untreated oral health issue is the culprit, like tooth decay. So, our Virginia Beach emergency dentist needs to conduct an exam and determine if further action needs to be taken to restore your pain-free smile.

How You Should Handle a Toothache If you’ve scheduled an appointment, then you’ve already made an important first step! Until your exam, you should also rinse with warm saltwater periodically, not chew on that side of your mouth, and complete your oral hygiene regimen as usual.

How We Treat Toothaches Tooth-colored fillings and dental crowns are two of the most popular treatments for decayed and damaged teeth. Of course, there are some cases where more intensive care is needed, such as root canal treatment. Before getting started on restoring the look and function of your tooth, we will review the findings from our exam as well as the treatment options available.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS BUTTON

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Chipping a tooth can certainly have aesthetic drawbacks. However, it can also negatively impact the health and function of your smile by making it difficult to chew or irritating the soft tissue in your mouth. In short, even if the chip is somewhat small, it warrants a call to our Virginia Beach dental team.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth Naturally, you shouldn’t use that tooth to eat anything since this can cause it to chip further. Instead, do what you can to keep your mouth clean (like rinsing periodically with water), and place a piece of sugar-free gum over the tooth to protect it and the soft tissue in your mouth from harm.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Fortunately, we have a few options, depending on the size of the chip and the location of the tooth. Since veneers are incredibly versatile, lifelike, and long-lasting, they are one of the most popular solutions.

LEARN MORE ABOUT VENEERS BUTTON

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? It is, so call our Virginia Beach dental team right away! We want to assess the damage and determine the best treatment before your tooth breaks further, becomes infected, or causes you immense pain.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth If you’re in pain, then taking an OTC pain reliever can be a helpful first step. We also recommend avoiding hot and cold foods and beverages since this can cause uncomfortable sensitivity.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth Oftentimes, we can place a dental crown over the cracked tooth to act as a protective “cap.” However, sometimes a more extensive treatment is warranted, like a tooth extraction and dental implant. Although this is never our first option, it may be the best choice if the crack is so severe that the tooth can no longer be saved.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS BUTTON

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS BUTTON

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? Not always, no. The best way to tell if you need to schedule an emergency exam is by the persistence and severity of your symptoms. For example, if your dental sensitivity has persisted for several weeks and is negatively impacting your quality of life, you should call us ASAP.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth There are a few easy steps you can take to alleviate your symptoms in the short-term, like avoiding spicy foods, switching to a desensitizing toothpaste, and taking OTC pain medication as directed. For long-term relief, you need to come to our office so we can determine what the root of the problem is.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth Sometimes, dental sensitivity is the result of an infection, and other times it’s due to a significant cavity. The good news is that we can help either way! At your appointment, we will share our findings, review your treatment options, and get to work on restoring your healthy, pain-free smile.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GUM DISEASE TREATMENT

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? If one of your teeth gets knocked out, it’s important that you call our Virginia Beach dental office ASAP. That way, we can schedule an appointment with Dr. Esparza within the hour. Any longer than that, and there’s a chance she won’t be able to save your tooth.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth Calling us to schedule an emergency appointment is an important first step. Outside of that, do what you can to preserve the root of the tooth and protect it from further harm. That starts with picking it up by the chewing surface and extends to placing it in a clean container filled with milk.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth We want to save your tooth. However, that may not be possible for one reason or another. If that’s the case, then we will review your options, like filling the new space in your smile with a custom-made dental implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? A lost filling or crown can lead to sensitivity, discomfort, and other unpleasant symptoms, which is why we encourage you to call us right away to schedule an appointment. That said, if you are out of town or cannot come in the same day because of a demanding schedule, that’s okay – you should be fine to wait a day or two if you take the right precautions.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to keeping your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping, we recommend eating soft foods, not chewing on that side of your mouth, rinsing periodically with clean, room-temperature water, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns An obvious solution is to simply provide you with a new restoration. However, there are some cases when we recommend taking a different approach. For example, if your dental crown is in good condition, we may re-cement it back in place instead.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL CROWNS

Broken Dentures

Is My Broken Denture a Dental Emergency? Yes—especially if it interferes with eating, speaking, or causes oral discomfort. Whether a piece has chipped off or the entire denture has cracked, it’s important to get it repaired quickly.

How You Should Handle a Broken Denture:

  • Avoid wearing it if it’s cracked or sharp.
  • Store it in a clean container.
  • Bring all pieces with you to your appointment.

How We Treat Broken Dentures: If the damage is minor, we may be able to repair your prosthetic in-office. For more extensive damage to dentures, we’ll arrange a quick turnaround with our dental lab. In the rare case that a denture can’t be saved, we’ll begin the process of getting you a replacement.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a Loose Permanent Tooth a Dental Emergency? A loose tooth in Virginia Beach should never be ignored. Permanent teeth should not move, so if one does, it’s a strong sign of injury, infection, or underlying disease. Without treatment, the tooth could fall out or become infected.

How You Should Handle Loose Permanent Teeth:

  • Avoid touching or wiggling the tooth.
  • Stick to soft foods.
  • Call Esparza Family Dentistry immediately.

How We Treat Loose Permanent Teeth: Depending on the cause, we may use a splint, treat underlying infection, or, in some cases, recommend extraction followed by one of several tooth replacement options, from a partial denture to a dental bridge or implant.

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue a Dental Emergency? Soft tissue injuries like cuts to the gums, lips, or tongue can bleed heavily and feel alarming. These issues are common, especially in children or after falls or accidents. If bleeding doesn’t stop after 10 minutes of pressure, it’s an emergency, but you should head to the nearest ER instead of coming to us.

How You Should Handle an Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue:

  • Gently clean the area with water.
  • Apply a clean cloth and light pressure.
  • Use a cold compress to reduce swelling.

How We Treat Injuries to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue: We’ll assess the wound, stop any bleeding, and may apply stitches or prescribe antibiotics if needed.

Jaw Pain

Is Jaw Pain a Dental Emergency? It can be, especially if it limits your ability to open your mouth or chew. If you’re dealing with sudden or worsening jaw pain in Virginia Beach, it may be linked to TMJ issues, dental trauma, or even an infection.

How You Should Handle Jaw Pain:

  • Use a cold compress.
  • Avoid hard or chewy foods.
  • Take over-the-counter pain relief.

How We Treat Jaw Pain:
We’ll perform a full exam to identify the cause of your discomfort. Treatment may involve a nightguard for bruxism, an oral appliance to gently reposition your jaw, or other specialized care.

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is Something Stuck Between the Teeth a Dental Emergency? A lodged object can cause irritation, swelling, or even infection if left untreated. While these types of issues are often minor, they can turn into bigger issues without proper care.

How You Should Handle Something Stuck Between the Teeth:

  • Gently floss around the area. Never use sharp objects because it can force the debris deeper.
  • Rinse your mouth with warm water.
  • If you can’t dislodge the object, call our Virginia Beach practice as soon as possible.

How We Treat Something Stuck Between the Teeth: We use gentle, precise tools to remove the object safely without damaging your teeth or gums. Getting professional care for severe obstructions can help you avoid pain, damage to your teeth and gums, and infection.