Emergency Dentist – Morristown, NJ

Need Urgent Dental Care? Call Us Now

Man holding cheek in pain before emergency dentistry in Morristown

It’s all too easy to be caught unprepared for a dental emergency, which is why it’s important to have a plan in place for dealing with one. Naturally, this plan should involve a call to your dentist; the ER likely won’t be equipped to handle issues such as toothaches or missing teeth. Here at Skyline Dental of Morristown, we gladly accept emergency patients, and we can set up same-day dental appointments whenever necessary. Reach out to us right away if you need urgent dental care from Dr. Henkin and the rest of our highly experienced dental team.

Why Choose Skyline Dental of Morristown for Emergency Dentistry?

  • Early, Late, and Saturday Appointments
  • State-of-the-Art Dental Technology
  • We Accept All PPO Dental Insurance Plans

How We Treat Dental Emergencies

Man in dental chair holding side of face in pain

Our team will work to help restore your oral health and put a stop to your pain as quickly as possible. Here are the steps that we typically follow when our patients need urgent dental care:

  • Schedule a Same-Day Appointment: We’ll try to see you on the same day that you call our office. We offer late hours on all weekdays (except for Wednesday), and we can see you on Saturday if needed. Our team can give you advice over the phone for managing your symptoms.
  • Perform an Emergency Exam: When you arrive, we’ll focus on helping you find relief from your immediate pain, and we’ll work to identify what’s causing your dental issue. In many cases, our team will need to take X-rays of your mouth.
  • Review Our Findings: We’ll explain what we found in your mouth and go over what treatments can help. You can count on our team to work alongside you to put together a treatment plan, and we’ll keep you informed of the likely cost and the length of each recommended procedure.
  • Get the Care You Need: You shouldn’t be forced to live with dental damage or pain any longer than necessary. Whatever type of treatment you need, we’ll work to complete it as quickly as possible to help you get back a healthy smile.

How to Handle Common Dental Emergencies

Some dental emergencies are caused by accidents that come out of nowhere; for example, you might get hit in the face while playing sports and end up with broken teeth. On the other hand, certain emergencies may be linked to dental issues that slowly grow worse over time, such as a toothache caused by advanced decay. It’s best to call our office as soon as you realize that you have an emergency situation on your hands; it’s never a good idea to delay care any longer than necessary. Here are some examples of common dental emergencies that our team can help you with.

Toothaches

Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency? Although toothaches always warrant a call to our Morristown dental office, they don’t always warrant a same-day visit. The best thing to do is get in touch with us so we can learn more about your symptoms and how long they’ve been present so we can determine how urgent your situation is.
How You Should Handle a Toothache Rinsing with a mixture of salt and warm water is a great place to start since it can help prevent an infection from developing. We also recommend steering clear of crunchy, acidic, spicy, and sugary foods. Lastly, you can take an OTC pain reliever if you’re in pain, just make sure to follow the instructions on the label.
How We Treat Toothaches When you arrive at our office, Dr. Henkin will take a look at your X-rays and examine your tooth to determine what’s causing your toothache. From there, she will review all of the available treatment options – from tooth-colored fillings to root canal treatment.

Cracked Tooth

Is a Cracked Tooth a Dental Emergency? Yes – whether small or large – a cracked tooth is a serious dental injury that warrants an immediate visit to our Morristown dental office. So, get in touch with us as soon as you can to explain what happened and schedule a time to come in for treatment with Dr. Henkin.
How You Should Handle a Cracked Tooth As we mentioned above, calling us should be a top priority. Additionally, we recommend rinsing your mouth periodically with clean, room-temperature water and not chewing on that side of your mouth at all. Since this dental injury can be quite painful, you can also take OTC pain medication for short-term relief.
How We Treat Cracked Teeth The good news is that cracked teeth don’t always need to be extracted. Sometimes, the solution is simply placing a dental crown over top to protect the tooth from harm moving forward. Sadly, that’s not always possible, and we need to gently remove the tooth before putting a dental bridge or implant in its place.

Chipped Teeth

Is a Chipped Tooth a Dental Emergency? Remember, dental damage of any kind – even if it seems minor – necessitates a visit to our Morristown office. With that said, small chips don’t usually require same-day treatment; scheduling an appointment before the end of the week should do the trick.
How You Should Handle a Chipped Tooth In addition to not putting any pressure on your chipped tooth, we recommend rinsing your mouth thoroughly with clean, lukewarm water to remove any lingering shards. If there is a sharp edge, cover it with dental wax to protect your lips, tongue, and gums as well.
How We Treat Chipped Teeth From veneers to dental crowns, there are several ways we can painlessly restore the missing structure of your tooth. The best smile-enhancing service for you will depend on a few key factors, like the location of the tooth that was damaged.

Very Sensitive Teeth  

Are Very Sensitive Teeth a Dental Emergency? There are some cases where the answer is “yes.” For example, if you’re struggling with dental sensitivity even though you haven’t drank anything really hot or eaten anything extremely cold, it’s worth scheduling an exam with our Morristown dentist, Dr. Henkin.
How You Should Handle Very Sensitive Teeth There are a few things you can try to alleviate your discomfort from home, like using a desensitizing toothpaste. That said, long-term relief will likely require a visit to our office, especially if the sensation is worsening with each passing day.
How We Treat Very Sensitive Teeth We need to examine your teeth and gums in order to determine the answer. In some cases, the solution is a tooth-colored filling. In others, it’s gum disease treatment.

Chipped Teeth

Knocked-Out Tooth  

Is My Knocked-Out Tooth a Dental Emergency? Without a doubt, a knocked-out tooth is a dental emergency. In fact, there’s only a limited amount of time where saving your tooth is possible, so it’s important that you call our Morristown dental team as soon as you can to schedule an appointment.
How You Should Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth That depends. If you have your tooth, then rinse it off with some clean water before putting it back in the socket or placing it in a clean container filled with milk. If you don’t have your tooth, don’t worry – simply focus on getting to our office for treatment.
How We Treat Knocked-Out Teeth You might be surprised to hear that we may be able to save your knocked-out tooth! If that’s not an option because you weren’t able to find your tooth in the shuffle, then we will instead replace it with a dental bridge or implant.

Lost Filling or Crown  

Is a Lost Filling or Crown a Dental Emergency? Whether a dental crown completely fell out or one of your fillings is loose, it’s important that you reach out to us ASAP to schedule an appointment. The sooner you do, the sooner Dr. Henkin can restore the look, function, and health of your tooth.
How You Should Handle a Lost Filling or Crown In addition to storing your restoration in a small, clean container (if you have it, of course), we recommend using clean, room-temperature water to rinse your mouth periodically, not chewing on that side of your mouth, and taking OTC pain medication (if needed).
How We Treat Lost Fillings or Crowns Dental crowns can either be re-cemented back in place or replaced entirely. It really depends on factors specific to your situation, including the condition of your restoration. Dental fillings, on the other hand, are almost always replaced since the process of doing so is relatively quick.

Broken Dentures

Is a broken denture a dental emergency? Wearing a broken denture can harm your gums, soft tissues, jaws, or remaining teeth. If the artificial teeth or the base of your denture has become damaged, contact us as soon as possible.

How to handle a broken denture: Wearing a broken denture can cause injuries such as scratching your gums, cheeks, or tongue or even cause the damage to your appliance to become even worse. Refrain from wearing your denture until we can see you and never attempt to repair it on your own. Household items such as superglue are not biocompatible and can make you sick.

How we treat broken dentures: How we address a broken denture depends on the severity of the damage. While we can sometimes use composite resin to fill a small crack or chip, more severe damage can require more intensive adjustments. If your denture cannot be repaired, we may need to fit you for a new one. If your denture is beyond repair, it can be a great opportunity to consider dental implants.

Loose Permanent Tooth

Is a loose permanent tooth a dental emergency? A permanent tooth can gradually loosen over time or come loose all at once due to an injury. Even if your loose tooth doesn’t hurt, it is in danger of falling out, making it a dental emergency.
How you should handle a loose permanent tooth: Immediately call our office when you find that you have a loose tooth. Avoid touching it as well as eating any sticky or crunchy foods. You can rinse your mouth with warm water, but refrain from brushing or flossing.
How we treat loose permanent teeth: In many cases, we can save a loose tooth with a dental splint or another treatment or a dental implant through our implant salvage services which may include bone grafts. However, your tooth will need to be extracted if it cannot be saved.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Learn More About Gum Disease Therapy 

Injury to the Gums, Lips, or Tongue

Is an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue a dental emergency? Injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue are fairly common among athletes, and they can be a dental emergency if they involve a lot of bleeding.
How you should handle an injury to the gums, lips, or tongue: Gently clean the area with water to help eliminate debris and bacteria. Apply pressure to the wound with a piece of gauze or a clean washcloth until the bleeding stops. You can also use an ice pack or cold compress to reduce the pain and swelling.
How we treat injuries to the gums, lips, or tongue: We can stitch the wound shut and help the area stay clean. However, head to your local emergency room if the bleeding hasn’t stopped after ten minutes.

Jaw Pain

Is jaw pain a dental emergency? While jaw pain can be a constant nuisance in your day-to-day life, it is not usually considered a dental emergency. However, call our office to prevent the sudden onset of serious oral health problems if the pain becomes chronic.
How you should handle jaw pain: We will be happy to offer guidance if you give our office a call. We usually recommend that patients with jaw pain take over-the-counter pain relievers and use an ice pack to reduce discomfort and swelling. However, go to the ER immediately if you believe your jaw is broken or dislocated.
How we treat jaw pain: If your jaw pain is caused by nocturnal bruxism, we may recommend getting a custom mouthguard. This will relieve your jaw joints of the pressure that comes from grinding and clenching your teeth at night. If your jaw pain is caused by your wisdom teeth erupting, extraction is probably the best option.

Learn More About Nightguards for Bruxism

Something Stuck Between the Teeth

Is something being stuck between teeth a dental emergency? While it’s rare for having something stuck between your teeth to be a dental emergency, it can cause a lot of discomfort. We’ll be happy to tell you if the problem should be addressed immediately or if it can wait until later if you call our office.
How you should handle something stuck between teeth: It’s never a good idea to use tweezers, toothpicks, or any other sharp object to remove debris from between your teeth. Instead, try using dental floss or giving your mouth a vigorous rinse with water.
How we treat something stuck between teeth: Dr. Henkin is trained and equipped to harmlessly and comfortably remove foreign objects from between your teeth. If you’re having difficulty getting rid of such a nuisance on your own, visit our office.

How to Prevent Dental Emergencies

Woman smiling while flossing her teeth

Do you want to minimize the odds of a dental emergency happening? There are a few simple steps you can follow to protect your teeth and gums:

  • Stop crunching on ice or biting down on other overly hard foods.
  • Exercise caution around sticky or tough foods that may cause dental damage.
  • Always take the time to find scissors when opening packages; do not use your teeth.
  • If you’re an athlete, pick up a customized mouthguard. (Remember, accidents can occur even during low-contact sports; it’s smart to wear a mouthguard even if it’s not required.)
  • Lower your risk for oral health issues by practicing good oral hygiene every day and visiting your dentist for routine cleanings.

Understanding the Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies

Dental team member showing a patient where to sign on clipboard

You shouldn’t let fears of a large dental bill stop you from getting the care you need when you’re suffering from a serious dental problem. Not only will our team be transparent about the cost of your emergency care, but we can also help you find ways to make it more affordable. After giving you an estimate that you can rely on, we’ll walk you through your payment options so that you can start making a plan that’s right for both your smile and your bank account.

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