Urgent
Dental emergencies
Swelling, an abscess, a broken tooth or a dental injury — call us. During office hours we’ll see your child as soon as we can, and the same number reaches an on-call dentist at nights and weekends.
What to do right now
One number, whatever the time
- Office hours
- Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (757) 496-8300 and we’ll see your child as soon as we can.
- Nights & weekends
- Call the same number, (757) 496-8300. We have an on-call service, so it reaches the on-call dentist.
- Not sure if it counts?
- Call anyway. It is always better to ask than to wait and find out it mattered.
What I treat
The emergencies children come in with
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Swelling
Swelling in the face, cheek or gum should be looked at right away rather than watched overnight. Call us, or outside office hours call the same number for the on-call dentist.
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Abscesses
An abscess is an infection at the root of a tooth or in the gum. It can be painful, and sometimes it isn’t — a gum boil that doesn’t hurt still needs to be looked at.
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Broken teeth
A chipped, cracked or broken tooth, whether it’s a baby tooth or a permanent one. Bring any piece of the tooth you can find.
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Dental injuries
A knocked-out or pushed-out tooth, a tooth driven up into the gum, or an injury to the lip, tongue or jaw — the sort of thing that comes from a fall, a bike accident or a sports collision. With a knocked-out permanent tooth, call immediately: time matters a great deal.
Children with special healthcare needs are seen for emergencies in the same way, with the visit adapted as it would be for any appointment. How I adapt a visit.
Afterward
What usually happens at the visit
The first job is to get your child comfortable and find out exactly what’s happened — often with an x-ray, because an injury to a tooth frequently involves the root or the bone around it, which can’t be seen by eye.
Then I’ll explain what I’ve found and what the options are before anything is done. Some emergencies are settled in one visit; others need a follow-up once the swelling has gone down or the tooth has had time to settle. If your child needs treatment they’d find hard, nitrous oxide is available.
How nitrous oxide worksCommon questions
Questions parents ask
What counts as a dental emergency for a child?
Swelling, an abscess, a broken tooth, or a dental injury. If you’re not sure whether it counts, call — it’s better to ask than to wait.
What do I do if it’s the evening or the weekend?
Call (757) 496-8300, the same number as always. We have an on-call service, so that number reaches the on-call dentist outside office hours and on weekends.
What are your office hours?
Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. During those hours, call (757) 496-8300 and we’ll see your child as soon as we can.
My child’s face is swollen. Is that urgent?
Yes. Facial swelling in a child should be looked at right away — call us, or outside office hours call the same number for the on-call dentist.
A permanent tooth has been knocked out. How quickly should I call?
Immediately. Time matters a great deal with a knocked-out permanent tooth, so call before anything else.
Do I need to be an existing patient?
No. Call and we’ll help.
Will my insurance cover emergency treatment?
We accept United Concordia, MetLife, Cigna Total, Delta Dental PPO and Premier, and Aetna PPO, and can file other PPO plans as an out-of-network provider. In an emergency, call first and deal with the insurance afterward.
Call now
Call (757) 496-8300
During office hours we’ll see your child as soon as we can. After hours and on weekends the same number reaches the on-call dentist.