Can I call the office after hours?
Yes. Call 540-921-3323 at any hour, nights and weekends included. Appointment scheduling is available 24/7, so someone answers even when the office is closed.
Treatment happens during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at 300 Tazewell Street in Pearisburg. A call at night will not get you treated at night, but it will get you on the schedule. Tell whoever answers what has happened, and mention any swelling or fever. You can also request an appointment online, and the office will call you back during office hours.
When to go to the emergency room
Some problems need a hospital, whatever the hour. Go to the nearest hospital emergency room for any of these, then call us to book a follow-up, and we will take care of the dental side:
- Swelling that is closing an eye or spreading down the neck.
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing. If someone is struggling to breathe, call 911.
- A suspected broken jaw, or a head injury.
- Bleeding that will not stop after firm pressure. After an extraction, that means biting firmly on clean gauze for twenty minutes without checking it.
- A knocked-out adult tooth outside office hours. Take the tooth with you, back in its socket or in milk.
A knocked-out tooth at night or on a weekend
An adult tooth has its best chance if it goes back in quickly, ideally within the first hour. Outside office hours, do the steps below, then go straight to the nearest hospital emergency room. What to do for a knocked-out tooth has the full detail.
A baby tooth is different: do not put it back, because that can damage the adult tooth forming underneath. Stop the bleeding with a clean cloth, keep the tooth, and call to book a visit. Not sure which kind it is? Keep it in milk and treat it as an adult tooth. For an adult tooth:
- Hold it by the crown, the white part you chew with, not the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds in milk or saline. Do not scrub it or let it dry out.
- Put it back in the socket if you can, facing the right way, and bite gently on a clean cloth.
- If it will not go back in, keep it in a cup of milk, not water.
- Go to the emergency room with the tooth, then call us to book a follow-up.
Toothache or swelling at night: what to do
For a toothache without the warning signs above, a dentist is the right place, because an emergency room can ease the pain but usually cannot treat the tooth. Call to book, and mention any swelling or fever, because those make it more urgent.
Our pages on a toothache and a dental abscess explain the usual causes. Until you are seen:
- Rinse with warm water, and floss gently in case food is pressing on the gum.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever as the label directs, if it is safe for you.
- Hold a cold pack wrapped in a cloth against your cheek, in short spells.
- Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow.
- Do not hold an aspirin against the gum, and do not squeeze a bump on the gum.
- Do not start leftover antibiotics. They can mask an infection without clearing it.
A broken tooth or lost crown after hours
Neither usually needs the emergency room, unless the tooth broke in a fall or a blow to the face. Then check the list above.
For a broken tooth, keep any pieces, rinse with warm water, and cover a sharp edge with sugar-free gum or dental wax from a pharmacy. Chew on the other side.
For a lost filling or crown, keep the crown and bring it with you. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can hold it for a short time if it seats fully without forcing, but do not use superglue or any household adhesive. Temporary filling material from a pharmacy can cover the hole a lost filling leaves.
Either way, call to book, and say so if the tooth starts to throb or keeps you awake, because that points to the nerve.
When the office opens
During office hours, tell whoever answers what has happened and they will get you seen. If you went to an emergency room, bring anything the hospital gave you.
You will know what we found and what each option costs before anything is done. If you are nervous, say so: the tooth is numbed properly before we start, and nitrous oxide is available if you would like it.
Questions patients ask
Can I be seen at night or on a weekend?
No. Patients are seen Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You can call at any hour to get booked, and for a true emergency, such as swelling spreading down the neck or a knocked-out adult tooth, go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Does anyone answer the phone after hours?
Yes. Appointment scheduling is available 24/7, so someone answers at any hour. Tell them what has happened and they will get you booked for office hours.
Is a toothache at night a reason to go to the ER?
Only with warning signs, such as swelling that is closing an eye or spreading down your neck, or difficulty breathing or swallowing. Otherwise an emergency room can ease the pain but usually cannot treat the tooth, so manage it at home and call to book.
My crown came off at night. What should I do?
Keep it somewhere safe and chew on the other side. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can hold it for a short time if it seats fully, but do not use superglue. Call to book, and bring the crown with you.