Getting Emergency Oral Care Treatment in Northern Virginia

How often have you found yourself struggling with a dental emergency? Hopefully never, but accidents do happen. Thus, if you find yourself in a dental emergency, you might be reaching for the phone to call your general dentist. However, that might not be the right call. There are some problems that a general dentist just can’t handle. In such situations, you might be better off looking for an emergency oral surgeon in Northern Virginia.

General dentists are simply not equipped to deal with some dental emergencies. Thus, you may be asking, “When do I need an oral surgeon, and when can I settle for seeing my general dentist?” Thankfully, you don’t have to wonder about the answer to that question for long. Below, we will discuss when seeing a general dentist is fine and when it is necessary to see an oral surgeon.

Emergency Dentistry or Emergency Oral Surgery?

What type of emergency dental service is right for you? Well, it really depends on the type of dental emergency that you are having.

Let’s start off with general dentists. The truth is that they spend a lot of their time doing general cleanings, filling cavities, doing preventative services, and doing dental exams. As such, general dentists do not keep the necessary tools in their offices to deal with problems that have surgical needs.

When would you go to a general dentist for an emergency? Typically, you would go to deal with dental problems such as a missing filling, an abscessed tooth, or a cracked tooth. These are problems that a general dentist can quickly fix in the office.

What about an oral surgeon? As you have probably concluded already, an oral surgeon is there to handle problems outside the realm of your Northern Virginia general dentist. This includes dental problems that require any kind of surgery.

For example, you aren’t going to go to an oral surgeon for a simple chipped tooth. If you have a fractured jaw or an impacted wisdom tooth that is causing a lot of pain, you would want to set up an emergency meeting with an oral surgeon.

That being said, general dentists still have their place even when people need oral surgeons. They can examine the mouth and determine if they can take care of the problems or if oral surgeons are better suited for the task. When oral surgeons in Northern Virginia are required, general dentists can provide referrals.

Understanding Maxillofacial Trauma

Do you know what maxillofacial trauma is? It may sound like a very fancy term, but it really describes any kind of trauma to the jaw or other facial bones. Thus, this one term covers a large amount of dental problems.

Oftentimes, people think that all maxillofacial trauma requires treatment from an oral surgeon. However, there are some situations in which a general dentist can help you with maxillofacial trauma. That is because the damage can be something as simple as a chipped tooth caused by trauma to the mouth.

However, maxillofacial trauma can also be something much more serious. For example, let’s say that facial trauma causes your jaw to fracture. In such a situation, this type of maxillofacial trauma would require the help of an oral surgeon.

If you ever find yourself confused about whether you need a general dentist or an oral surgeon, it’s best to visit your general dentist first. You can get a referral to an oral surgeon if you need one.

How Can an Oral Surgeon Help You During Your Emergency?

Knowing the difference between an oral surgeon and a general dentist is important. That being said, you may now be wondering how an oral surgeon can help you during an emergency. Like with an emergency general dentist, an oral surgeon is able to provide quick treatment for problems that pop up suddenly.

As you might have guessed, however, an oral surgeon will help you with emergencies that your general dentist can’t. Typically, the main reasons why people seek out treatment from oral surgeons is for jaw injuries and emergency extractions.

When Is It Time to Go to the ER?

All right, now you know when you should visit an oral surgeon rather than a general dentist. However, what if the oral health problem that you are struggling with has a lot of swelling or is bleeding a lot? In such a case, you might want to visit the ER instead of going to your dentist.

It’s also a good idea to go to the ER or call 911 if someone has been struck hard in the head. While accidents like this might cause some dental damage, they can cause other problems as well. For example, blunt trauma to the head can leave people with concussions.

Also, you should remember that emergency oral surgeons and dentists only offer help during normal operating hours. If you suffer a problem outside of these normal hours, you might have to seek help from an ER instead. You should never wait too long to receive the dental care that you deserve, especially if you are in a lot of pain.

That being said, just because you go to the ER doesn’t mean that you should completely avoid going to the dentist. Even after getting done at the ER, you should schedule an appointment to meet with your general dentist as soon as possible. The dentist can repair or even replace missing teeth. If the problem is something that general dentistry can’t fix, you can be referred to a Northern Virginia oral surgeon.

Get Help Now

Do you live in Northern Virginia and are struggling with a dental emergency? If so, it’s time that you give our friendly staff members a call. They can provide all of the information that you need to see one of our surgeons. No matter which kind of dental problem you have, we can provide treatment.

Now is the time to get the oral health treatment that you need. Reach out to us today, and let us schedule you an appointment. Don’t let a dental emergency ruin your week. Get help right away.