Emergency Dentist Fort Lee
When There’s No Time to Wait
Panic is often the initial response when dealing with a dental emergency. Intense pain caused by damage or decay can cause you to worry about the current and future state of your smile, but we want to ease your mind. When calling to notify us about your situation, we will schedule you right away so that you get the help you need. We offer same-day and weekend emergency dentistry appointments in Fort Lee so you don’t have to wait.
Why Choose Feels Good Dental for Emergency Dentistry?
- Same-Day and Weekend Emergency Dental Appointments
- Two In-House Membership Options: Save Big Without Insurance
- 5-Star Dentist Who Prioritizes Patients’ Needs
I Need a Checkup & Cleaning I Have a Cavity or Broken Tooth I am Missing One or More Teeth I Want to Enhance My Smile View Our Services
How We Treat Dental Emergencies
- Call or Text Office to Schedule an Appointment – Calling/texting our office as soon as you can is the first step you should take when dealing with a dental emergency. Offering same-day and weekend appointments, our team will schedule you right away and provide first-aid tips to help reduce the potential for further damage while at home.
- Receive a Thorough Examination – From digital X-rays and scans to a visual examination, we will look at your affected tooth (or teeth) and determine the underlying cause and severity of the damage.
- Dentist Analyzes Findings – Once we have all the information we need, we will compile our findings so that your dentist can determine how to move forward most successfully.
- Receive Timely Care– Apart from getting you out of pain as quickly as possible, we’ll immediately begin to treat your affected tooth (or teeth). Some of the most common treatment solutions include antibiotics, dental fillings, dental crowns, root canals, or tooth extractions.
The Most Common Dental Emergencies
Instead of rushing to the local ER for help, you can entrust our team to deliver the kind of timely and successful treatment you need to enjoy a pain-free smile.
Understanding the Cost of Treating Dental Emergencies
Dental emergencies are stressful enough without also having to worry about how you’re going to pay for your care. But the truth is, getting treated quickly by an emergency dentist in Fort Lee is almost always the most affordable choice. This is because delaying care turns manageable problems into complex, expensive ones. At Feels Good Dental, our team is committed to making emergency dental care accessible, and we offer several options to help you get the treatment you need without bending your budget.
Every Dental Emergency Is Different
No two emergencies are exactly alike, which is why there's no single price tag for urgent treatment. A mild toothache that turns out to be a small cavity will cost far less to treat than an infected tooth requiring a root canal and crown. In the same way, a chipped tooth may need only cosmetic bonding, while a knocked-out tooth could involve a replacement restoration.
During your visit, our team will get you out of pain, investigate your situation, and walk you through the solution. We’ll discuss costs together once you have the information you need to make a clear decision about your smile.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Dental Emergencies?
In many cases, yes. Most dental insurance plans cover at least a portion of emergency exams, X-rays, and necessary restorative treatment. Feels Good Dental is in-network with Aetna, Cigna, Delta Dental PPO, MetLife, and many other PPOS!
If you need help sifting through your benefits, we’re more than happy to walk you through it to maximize your savings. Coverage varies by plan, so if you have questions about what's included, don't hesitate to call us before your appointment.
Other Options for Making Dental Emergencies Affordable
If you don't have dental insurance, or your plan doesn't cover everything you need, Feels Good Dental has you covered. We offer two in-house membership plans designed to make care more manageable without the complexity of traditional insurance. For one annual fee, you’ll enjoy savings on a wide range of services, including emergency treatment, with no deductibles, no waiting periods, and no stress.
We also offer convenient financing options through CareCredit that allow you to break your treatment costs into smaller monthly payments. This is a fantastic option when you need care right away without worrying about the bill. As always, if you have any questions about the affordability of your care, we're always happy to help you find a path forward.
Taking Care of Your Smile Can Save You Money
One of the most effective ways to keep emergency dental costs low is to avoid them in the first place! Regular checkups and cleanings allow our Fort Lee team to catch minor problems before they become painful, costly, and hard to manage.
A small cavity filled today is far cheaper than a root canal and crown next year, and a cracked tooth can often be reinforced before it fractures. These are great examples of how proactive care keeps more money in your pocket.
Brushing, flossing, wearing a mouthguard while playing sports, and seeing us regularly are the best investments you can make in the safety of your smile.
How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
The best way to handle a dental emergency in Fort Lee is to prevent one from happening in the first place. While accidents are always a possibility, most dental emergencies have warning signs or root causes that careful habits can keep in check. Here are five simple but effective ways to protect your smile and prevent dental emergencies in Fort Lee before they start. And of course, if the worst should happen, contact our office, and we’ll see you as soon as possible.
Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Regular checkups and cleanings are one of the best ways to reduce your overall risk of dental emergencies. During these visits, our team at Feels Good Dental can spot small cracks, early decay, and weakening restorations before they become painful, urgent problems.
A cavity caught early is a quick fix, but if you leave it untreated, it can turn into an infection requiring much more involved care. Staying on schedule with your visits at least once every six months will help keep your smile out of crisis.
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits at Home
What you do between appointments matters just as much as the appointments themselves. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash help remove bacteria and plaque that lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
These are two of the most common culprits behind dental emergencies, so making it harder for them to form will save you time, money, and stress. With a strong home routine, you’ll have a healthier smile that can keep up with your lifestyle.
Be Careful with Your Diet
What you eat is just as important as how often you brush when it comes to protecting your smile. Hard, sticky, and overly crunchy foods can put serious stress on your teeth, cracking enamel or dislodging restorations before you have timme to react. Sugary and acidic foods and drinks can also wear down enamel over time, making it more vulnerable to breaks and decay. This doesn’t mean you have to give up all your favorite snacks—just be mindful!
Wear a Mouthguard
If you’re active during the day playing contact sports, a mouthguard is a must. Sports-related tooth fractures and knocked-out teeth are some of the most common dental emergencies we see, and most are entirely preventable.
Similarly, nighttime grinding slowly weakens teeth and restorations. If left untreated, this can lead to chips and cracks that worsen over time. Our Fort Lee team can fit you with a custom mouthguard or nightguard to protect your teeth over time.
Don’t Use Your Teeth as Tools
Your teeth are incredibly strong, but they're not scissors, bottle openers, or nail clippers. Using your teeth to tear open packaging, pop off bottle caps, or bite your fingernails puts unpredictable stress on your enamel that can cause chips and cracks without warning.
Worst of all, once your teeth are cracked, the structure won’t grow back. Any additional stress can cause the issue to worsen, and without treatment, your tooth could become infected.
Emergency Dentistry FAQs
Will my toothache go away on its own?
Pain is a signal that something is wrong, and teeth don’t heal themselves. A mild ache from biting something hard may fade, but decay, cracks, and infection will only worsen without treatment.
If your discomfort is minor, try gently brushing and flossing the area and see if it improves within 24 hours. However, if the pain is persistent, throbbing, or sharp, especially if accompanied by swelling, a bad taste, or fever, it shouldn’t be ignored.
Call our emergency dentist in Fort Lee right away if you experience any of these symptoms. Acting quickly can often save your tooth, prevent a more serious dental emergency, and protect your overall health.
Should I visit the emergency room first for dental emergencies?
For the vast majority of dental emergencies in Fort Lee, it’s best to see a dental professional. Emergency rooms are rarely staffed or equipped properly to take care of issues like broken or knocked-out teeth, tooth infections, or gum disease. Those all require specialized tools and knowledge that only dentists have.
That said, if you have a fever due to infection, a fractured or dislocated jaw, or bleeding that goes on longer than 10 minutes, an ER can help. You should always go to your nearest emergency room if there’s a life-threatening illness or injury. Our team at Feels Good Dental will be here to help your smile once you’re recovered.
Should knocked-out teeth be placed in water?
While it’s okay to rinse a knocked-out tooth with cool water if it’s dirty, you should never store one that way. A knocked-out tooth is often still partially covered with cells that are necessary for reimplantation. These cells are hydrophilic, meaning they will readily absorb water—even until they burst.
However, the tooth must also be kept moist to prevent the cells from drying out and dying. So, you can either keep it in your cheek, put it in a small container of milk, or use a tooth preservation kit until you see us.
What should I keep in my emergency dentistry kit?
A small, well-stocked dental emergency kit makes it easier to stay calm and protect your smile until you can reach our office. Keep it in your bathroom or car so it’s always close by. Helpful items include:
- A small storage container for teeth or restorations
- Sterile nitrile gloves
- Gauze pads and cotton balls
- Dental cement or other temporary filling material
- Denture adhesive and petroleum jelly
- Anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen
- Topical anesthetic like Orajel
- Floss and a reusable ice pack
- Contact information for Feels Good Dental
With a kit like this, you can handle first aid for any dental emergency in Fort Lee until you can see our team.