Emergency Dentist — Bakersfield, CA
There for You When We’re Needed the Most
People of all ages experience dental emergencies that can turn their daily life upside down. By having an emergency dentist that you trust by your side, you’ll be able to navigate these stressful situations confidently and effortlessly. At Dominic Carlson, DDS , we offer same-day appointments for our patients who are in pain. Just call our dental office as soon as possible and follow our voicemail’s instructions for emergency dentistry in Bakersfield, CA.
Why Choose Carlson Dentistry of Bakersfield for Emergency Dental Care?
- Same-Day Emergency Appointments
- We Accept Dental Insurance
- Sedation Dentistry Available
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
- Start by scheduling a same-day appointment: The first step you should always take if you have a dental emergency on your hands is to call our dental office so we can schedule an appointment for as soon as possible. We’ll also provide you with over-the-phone first-aid guidance to make sure that your smile doesn’t sustain any additional damage.
- Get examined by our team: In order to understand and confirm the source of your emergency, we’ll need to perform a detailed exam and go over your symptoms. This process may involve capture of X-rays depending on the type of emergency you have.
- Pain relief and treatment planning: After doing everything possible to get you out of pain, Dr. Carlson will create a treatment plan designed to address your symptoms and prevent the emergency from getting worse. He’ll also have a detailed cost estimate and timeline provided with your care so you can make a decision on how you’d like to move forward.
- Get the professional care you need: Our team will work quickly to get your oral health back to normal, whether it’s through dental fillings, crowns, root canal therapy, extractions, or another treatment.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies come in many forms, so it’s understandable if you aren’t sure what you’re experiencing counts as a dental emergency or not. You’re always welcome to give us a call if you need guidance. As you’re making plans to visit our dental office, you can follow the steps and tips below to make yourself more comfortable and prepare for your appointment with us.
Understanding the Cost of Emergency Dentistry
In order to determine how much your emergency dental treatment will cost, we’ll need to first conduct an examination. For that reason, we can’t provide you with an accurate estimate until your visit. We can, however, share some helpful information on the topic, including if dental insurance providers typically cover a portion of the price.
Every Dental Emergency is Different – Here’s Why
During your visit, Dr. Carlson will hear what’s bothering you, take X-rays to see if there’s anything developing beneath the gumline, and complete a visual exam. Then, he will diagnose the problem, share his findings, review your treatment options, and put together a treatment plan to provide you with a permanent solution. Our team will also provide you with an estimate of the cost and discuss the different financial solutions so you can focus on getting the care you need instead of stressing about the price.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
Oftentimes, dental insurance plans include one emergency exam per year as well as partial coverage on essential restorative treatments, like tooth-colored fillings, dental crowns, and root canals. So, don’t hesitate to provide us with your membership information! We’re proud to work with several popular providers, including Guardian, Humana, and MetLife, and we’d be happy to help you navigate the ins and outs of your coverage. We can even file claims on your behalf, so don’t hesitate to ask us if you have any questions.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance at the moment, that’s okay – you can join our Membership Plan and enjoy similar savings! When you sign up, you’ll get one emergency exam per year as well as a 15% discount on procedures completed at our office, including fillings. Plus, there aren’t waiting periods, annual maximums, and other red tape that will get in the way of your savings.
Take Care of Your Smile, Save Money!
Many common dental injuries, including knocked-out teeth, are largely preventable. So, if you want to reduce your chances of needing same-day care, it’s best to break bad habits, like biting your nails, smoking, and using your teeth as tools to open things. Of course, it’s equally as important to do what you can to maintain a healthy, happy smile, like brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash consistently.
Tip: Don’t take the “wait and see” approach if you notice something unusual, like pain when biting down. Instead, schedule an appointment with our emergency dentist in Bakersfield right away. The sooner you do, the sooner he can pinpoint the root of the problem as well as the best way to treat it.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
While you can’t prevent a dental emergency from happening every time, there are a few ways that you can drastically reduce your risk of ending up at your emergency dentist’s office:
- Maintain good oral hygiene by brushing twice a day at home with fluoride toothpaste.
- Floss at least once a day.
- Visit Dr. Carlson every six months for a checkup and cleaning.
- Maintain a well-balanced diet.
- Protect your teeth from grinding and clenching.
Dental Emergency FAQ’s
Do you still have questions about what to do if you encounter a dental emergency in Bakersfield? These situations can be scary, but it’s important to do your best to remain calm. Dr. Carlson has compiled some of the emergency dentistry questions that we get asked the most often and conveniently answered them for you here. Once you have read through them, we encourage you to call us so that we can get your smile’s health squared away!
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
Your first thought might be to head to the nearest emergency room, but in most cases, you’re better off calling our office instead. There are several reasons why it’s ideal to see an emergency dentist in Bakersfield rather than visiting the ER, including:
- Most general physicians are not qualified to treat specific dental injuries.
- They’ll only treat your symptoms, not the root cause of your emergency.
- You’ll likely be referred to a dentist afterward, so you’ll incur a separate unnecessary bill.
- You’ll have to spend valuable time waiting in the ER lobby.
- Hospitals and urgent care clinics are often hotbeds for dangerous germs as a result of all of the sick patients seeking help.
The only times when you should go to the ER instead of an emergency dentist’s office is if your mouth won’t stop bleeding, your jaw is dislocated/fractured, or you’re experiencing swelling that makes it difficult to swallow or breathe.
Do chipped teeth heal?
Tooth enamel is even stronger than bone. It’s actually the strongest material in the human body. However, its durability comes with a price – it cannot repair itself. This means that once a tooth has been chipped, even slightly, it will never grow back.
In fact, the chip is likely to grow larger without treatment. That’s why, even if the fracture is small and doesn’t hurt, you should give us a call soon after the incident. Dr. Carlson can determine which treatment is the best option for protecting the tooth from further damage.
Is my tooth pain from an infection?
If you’re experiencing a throbbing toothache or your tooth feels sore, an infection within the tooth might be to blame. Other symptoms of a tooth infection are:
- A persistent bitter taste in your mouth
- Chronic bad breath
- Teeth that feel loose
- Tooth sensitivity
- Swollen or red gum tissue
- A sore on the gums near a hurting tooth
The only way to know for sure is to have Dr. Carlson take a closer look at your tooth. From there, he can develop a treatment plan to relieve your pain and heal your smile.
Are toothpicks safe to use?
Despite their name, toothpicks are typically unsafe, especially if they’re made of wood. Wooden toothpicks can splinter and break off inside your mouth. It’s also easy to accidentally damage your enamel and gum tissue using a toothpick. It might even have the opposite effect of pushing a piece of food even deeper between the teeth or under the gums. You might even swallow the toothpick, which could prove fatal.
A toothpick should only be used as a last resort. Instead, call our office and we can help you safely remove an object that is stuck between your teeth.
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