Will You Pull a Tooth in an Emergency?

Often, yes. Dr. Bailey extracts many teeth in his Tarboro office when a tooth can’t be saved. Some teeth, like most wisdom teeth, need an oral surgeon, and he’ll give you a referral.

How Much Does an Emergency Dental Visit Cost?

The cost depends on what the problem turns out to be and what your insurance covers. Dr. Bailey’s office is in network with Delta Dental and accepts CareCredit. Ask about cost at your exam, before treatment starts.

When Is a Toothache an Emergency?

Call right away for a toothache that keeps you up at night, pain with swelling, a knocked-out or badly broken tooth, or bleeding that won’t stop. A dull ache that comes and goes, or a twinge with cold drinks, still deserves a visit soon, but it can usually wait for a regular appointment.

Emergency Dentist in Tarboro, NC | Tarboro Family Dentistry

Emergency Dentist in Tarboro, NC

Tooth pain doesn’t keep office hours. Here’s what to do right now, and how to reach us.

Tarboro Family Dentistry, the practice of Dr. Gray Bailey, D.M.D., P.A., is an emergency dentist in Tarboro, NC, about 20 minutes from Rocky Mount. For a toothache, rinse with warm water and floss gently to clear out trapped food. Then call (252) 823-5739 as early in the day as you can. We see patients in pain as soon as possible, Monday through Thursday.

Dental Emergency First Aid, Step by Step

Start here while you get in touch with us. Each step buys time until a dentist can see the tooth.

Toothache

Rinse your mouth and gently clear out anything stuck between your teeth. Don’t put aspirin directly on the tooth or gums, where it can burn the tissue.

Chipped or Broken Tooth

Rinse gently with warm water, then hold a cold compress against your face to keep swelling down. Save any pieces you find and bring them with you.

Knocked-Out Tooth

Hold the tooth by the crown (the part you chew with), never the root, and keep it moist. If you can, ease it back into the socket. If not, tuck it between your cheek and gum or drop it in a cup of milk, then call us right away, because time matters. A knocked-out baby tooth should not go back in.

Lost Filling or Crown

Keep the crown and bring it with you, since it can sometimes be cemented back in place. Until your visit, chew on the other side.

Broken Denture or Partial

Skip the household glue, which can ruin a denture for good. Bring every piece to our office; most denture and partial repairs are ready in 24 to 48 hours.

Emergency Room or Emergency Dentist?

Go to the emergency department at ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital in Tarboro, or call 911, for facial swelling that’s spreading, a fever along with tooth pain, trouble swallowing or breathing, or a jaw injury from an accident. Most emergency rooms don’t have a dentist on staff. The ER treats the infection, pain, or injury, and the tooth itself still needs a dentist once you’re stable.

Dental Emergencies After Hours + on Weekends

Our office is open Monday through Thursday. If you’re already our patient and something happens after hours or Friday through Sunday, call the office number and stay on the line; our voicemail explains how to reach Dr. Bailey. New patients can call first thing Monday morning, and anyone with the warning signs above should head straight to the ER.

Seeing an Emergency Dentist in Tarboro

Morning calls give us the most room in the schedule, and we work patients in pain in as quickly as we can. At your visit, Dr. Bailey finds the cause and walks you through the fix, whether that’s a filling, a crown, or an extraction here in the office. Root canals, most wisdom teeth, and complicated breaks go to a specialist. Dr. Bailey gives you a referral, and you call the specialist’s office to schedule.