A dental emergency rarely announces itself politely. One moment you’re fine, and the next you’re gripping your jaw, wondering how something this painful came on so fast.
Cedar Smiles Dental treats urgent dental cases for patients from Princeton and throughout the surrounding region at our Somerset, NJ office.
In 2018 alone, dental conditions accounted for more than 2 million emergency department visits nationwide. Most of those visits ended the same way: pain medication and a referral, with no actual dental treatment provided.
Walking into an unfamiliar situation is stressful enough without adding confusion about what happens next, so here’s a straightforward look at how an emergency visit actually unfolds once you’re here.
Dr. Wong examines you as soon as you arrive, with the immediate goal of getting you out of pain before anything else happens. That usually means a quick but thorough look at the affected area, sometimes paired with an X-ray to see what’s happening below the surface.
Only once that’s addressed does the conversation shift to what’s actually going on and what fixing it will involve. Dr. Wong explains findings in plain language rather than dental jargon, and walks through what your options actually are, including what each one costs and how long it takes.
What you do in the first few minutes can make a real difference. For a knocked-out tooth, pick it up by the crown, never the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, and try to place it back in the socket or keep it in milk until you can get to our office. For a severe toothache, rinse with warm water and use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek to manage swelling. If a crown or filling comes out, keep the piece if possible and avoid chewing on that side. Call our office right away in any of these situations so we can tell you exactly what to do next and get you in as quickly as possible.
Not every dental emergency can be predicted, but a good number trace back to something that had been quietly building for a while. Keeping up with routine exams and cleanings remains one of the simplest ways to catch these problems while they’re still minor.
If you're in significant pain, can't eat or speak normally, or notice swelling, bleeding, or a knocked-out or badly broken tooth, it's worth calling us right away. When in doubt, call. It's better to check than to wait and risk the problem getting worse.
We make every effort to see emergency patients the same day they call. The sooner we can evaluate the issue, the better the outcome, especially for a knocked-out tooth or an active infection.
For dental pain and injuries, an emergency room can help manage pain but usually cannot treat the underlying dental problem. Calling our office first gets you to someone who can actually resolve the issue.
Call our office and follow the instructions on our voicemail, or reach out through our contact page. We'll work to get you seen as soon as possible.
Convenient Care in Somerset
