Emergency Dentist Haverhill

Delivering Urgent Care When It Counts

Woman sitting on couch rubbing jaw in pain

Not all dental emergencies require urgent care; however, for some, time is of the essence. At Bradford Dental Care, we know how much it means to have a dependable team of experts ready and willing to help, which is why we offer same-day and after-hours appointments for those with dental injuries. By calling our office in Haverhill and alerting us to the situation, our emergency dentists can work quickly to eliminate pain and administer fast yet comfortable care when restoring your smile.

Why Choose Bradford Dental Care for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Same-Day & After-Hour Dental Emergency Appointments
  • We Welcome All PPO Dental Insurance Plans
  • Family-Owned & Operated Dental Practice for Over 60 Years

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man visiting emergency dentist in Haverhill for toothache

Treating a dental emergency requires that we first know about the situation, which means you will need to call our office right away. Once we better understand the severity of the injury, we can determine how quickly you need to come in for treatment. We do our best to get patients in on the same day, even providing after-hours appointments.

Once you are in a treatment chair, we will address the pain and begin examining the affected area, taking digital scans and images if necessary. One of our dentists will analyze the findings to create a treatment plan that indicates which restorative treatment will be most effective.

Many emergencies can be treated with antibiotics, a dental filling, a dental crown, a root canal, or tooth extraction. If we can administer care the same day, we will, but if not, we will schedule a time for you to come in at a later date.

The Most Common Dental Emergencies

When faced with a dental emergency, you may be unsure whether you should see your dentist or visit the ER. While certain circumstances warrant immediate medical attention (i.e., broken jaw, excessive bleeding, increased swelling), most injuries can be treated in our Haverhill dental office.

Toothaches  

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? There are some cases when toothaches warrant immediate care, including if you’re experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain when biting down, there is a crack in your enamel, or there is a pimple-like bump on your gums.

How You Should Handle a Toothache Until your appointment at our office, we recommend not chewing on that side of your mouth, steering clear of acidic, spicy, and sugary foods, using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time, and taking OTC pain medication as directed.

How We Treat Toothaches During your visit with our emergency dentist in Haverhill, they will complete a comprehensive oral exam to determine how severe the damage is. Then, they can discuss the different treatments available and help you decide the best way to proceed.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes! So, don’t wait – call us right away if you can see a crack in your enamel or you suspect there is one due to the symptoms you’re experiencing, like persistent sensitivity.

How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth Over the phone, a helpful member of our team at Bradford Dental Care will schedule an emergency appointment and walk you through what to do to protect your tooth from breaking further in the meantime, including eating only extremely soft foods and not chewing on that side of your mouth.

How We Treat Cracked Teeth First, we will determine if your tooth can be saved with a dental crown. If it can’t, then we will need to extract it. The good news is that there won’t be a gap in your smile for long; we can fill it with a custom dental bridge or implant.

Chipped Teeth  

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Not usually. With that said, there are some cases that require emergency dental care, including if the chip is so severe that it’s causing immense pain.

How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth If you have any broken pieces of your tooth, you should store them in a small, clean container and bring them to our office. Outside of that, do what you can to protect your tooth and the soft tissue in your mouth, like covering it with some dental wax or sugar-free gum.

How We Treat Chipped Teeth Veneers, dental bonding, and metal-free restorations can all be used to fix a chipped tooth. Ultimately, the one that’s best for you will depend on a few factors, including the severity of the chip, the type of tooth, and your budget.

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? While we do recommend calling us right away, the urgency of the situation depends largely on your symptoms. For example, if you’re experiencing considerable sensitivity that’s getting worse with each passing day, we will likely recommend a same-day visit.

How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth: To alleviate your discomfort in the short term, we recommend sticking to room-temperature water, avoiding spicy, sugary, and acidic foods, and using a desensitizing toothpaste.

How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth: Once you arrive at our office, we will complete a comprehensive oral exam. Then, we will share our findings, review your treatment options, and help you decide which restorative treatment is best for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Since the tooth starts to die after only 15 minutes, it’s important that you act fast. Call us ASAP so we can schedule an appointment at our office within the hour and guide you through what to do to preserve the root surface cells of your tooth.

How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth: If you have your tooth, then try putting it back in its socket. If that would require force, then place it in a clean container filled with milk instead.

How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth: Our primary goal is to preserve as much of your natural smile as possible. However, there are some cases when that’s simply not an option. For instance, if you’re visiting us because you lost a tooth in Haverhill, then we will need to replace it with the next best thing: a dental bridge or implant.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? If you can’t get to our office right away because it’s the middle of the night or you’re out of town, don’t stress – your tooth isn’t in immediate danger. With that said, it is vulnerable to harm, so we do recommend coming to our office as soon as you can.

How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown: There are a few steps we recommend taking in addition to scheduling an appointment at our Haverhill dental office, including rinsing your mouth periodically with clean, room-temperature water, not chewing on that side of your mouth, and keeping your restoration in a small, clean container for safekeeping.

How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns: While dental fillings are usually replaced with a new one, that’s not always necessary with dental crowns. For example, if you arrive at our office with a perfectly intact dental crown that’s relatively new, then we may be able to re-cement it back in place.