Emergency dentistry provides fast pain relief, peace of mind, and the best long-term solution for your mouth

We encourage you to ring The Bell Dental Group as soon as possible if you have serious concerns about the health and appearance of your teeth, gums, mouth, and jaws. It is also a concern to us if you are seriously concerned about your mouth or have undergone acute trauma. Dr. Alonzo Bell and our team in Alexandria, Virginia, can get you out of pain quickly, and, moreover, we resolve the underlying problem in the best way possible – the way that is in the long-term best interests of your health. There are many potential complications of urgent dental care needs, and we can avoid them with quality and prompt emergency dentistry services. 

Furthermore, we like to say that any condition, symptom, or circumstance that interferes with your day-to-day life, work, school, and basic functions, such as eating and sleeping, is indeed a dental emergency. Debilitating toothaches are rooted in conditions that do not simply go away on their own. They only get worse and can even result in deadly systemic infections or abscesses. Likewise, if you do not promptly tend to broken, dislocated, or fully dislodged (avulsed or “knocked-out”) teeth, the risk of losing that tooth for good increases tremendously. Dental extractions followed by tooth replacement are far more aggressive, costly, time-consuming, and invasive than procedures that strive to preserve traumatized teeth. 

We’ve highlighted a few of the situations that certainly warrant a call to (703) 783-4557. And, when in doubt, just contact us anyway! We can prevent discomfort from escalating. We also provide guidance on what to do until you can get to our office. These suggestions can help to ease the pain in the interim and may also put your mouth or tooth in the best possible position to avoid aggressive restorative procedures and other whole-body health effects.

• Escalating pain is not a good sign. Many oral health conditions are progressive. Persistent and throbbing or jarring pain, as well as heightened tooth sensitivity and facial swelling, may be symptomatic of severe decay and serious abscesses or deep infections.
• A badly-decayed tooth can produce the type of pain mentioned above. But that tooth may be “saved” with root canal therapy followed by applying a lifelike and robust dental crown. Should decay progress, the tooth may need to be pulled, and a dental implant tooth or other prosthetics may be the only way to regain proper function and aesthetics.
• Accidents can still happen even with the best-laid plans and optimal home and professional care. A knocked-out tooth may be preserved for a short time in milk. Or, you may be able to delicately place the tooth back in its socket, taking great care not to disturb tissues. We will want to get to this situation as soon as possible. The longer the tooth is out of its socket, the worse the prognosis is related to our ability to successfully reimplant the tooth. 
• Dislodged, avulsed, or broken teeth are among the many emergencies that can arise from injuries on the playing field. A little bit of planning can help to reduce the risk of these injuries occurring in the first place. Be sure to ask about custom sports guards for yourself or for your child when you visit. These appliances “guard” against injuries to the mouth, face, and jaws caused by blows to the face during sports. 

Be sure everyone in the family has our number handy and on their respective phones. Again, don’t hesitate to call us (703) 783-4557. The Bell Dental Group has an after-hours answering service and can quickly accommodate urgent patient needs.