You may have learned all about circumstances that warrant emergency dental services. You may also have knowledge about what practices are effective in getting relief from a dental emergency situation. Home remedies that successfully address the pain and discomfort of a dental emergency may also be part of your first aid kits. But what if those practices do not work and you really need a professional to care for your teeth? This is when you need the services of a reliable emergency dentist.
When Do You Need An Emergency Dentist?
With medical emergencies, the main reasons to visit the emergency department are obvious. If it affects the airway, breathing, and blood circulation of the patient, it is a must that the patient is sent to the emergency room at once. These circumstances may be life-threatening if unattended. But with dental conditions, it is very seldom that a dental problem can risk a patient’s life. It is then an objective of an emergency dentist to save, not the life of the patient per se, but the life or survival of the patient’s tooth.
What Conditions Would Jeopardise Your Oral Cavity?
You may think that if a dental problem that may damage the tooth is considered a dental emergency, then ALL dental problems require emergency dental care. Of course not! There are certain conditions that are time-sensitive and need urgent dental treatments. Those dental problems that are purely aesthetic in nature and would not in any way affect the health of the tooth or gums in an instant are best addressed by your general or family dentist. Here are some of the circumstances that warrant the help of an emergency dentist.
- Knocked out tooth
- Broken tooth (Minor chipping or cracks are not considered dental emergencies)
- Trauma to the mouth
- Abscess or signs of a moderate to severe tooth or gum infection
- Mouth bleeding
- Moderate to severe toothache, not relieved by home remedies
What Do You Do To Get An Emergency Dentist
Once you are faced with a dental emergency, keep calm. Panicking will give you a chance to make impulsive decisions and mistakes that may make your condition worse.
Call Your Dentist’s Office
Several dental clinics and offices may inform you that they also have emergency dentists available to serve you after clinic hours, so it is also recommended to try and contact your family dentist’s office first to see if they can give you assistance. Some even have helpful instructions that you can take note of in the voicemails, so contacting them first may be a very good idea as well.
Research for Emergency Dental Services
Even before an emergency or accident happens, it is ideal that you take note of contact numbers of different facilities that offer emergency services, be it medical, fire, or dental. This will enable you to reach them as soon as the need arises. You can search from the yellow pages, the internet, and other friends or relatives just to get a hold of any information that may help you in the future.
Contact a Reliable Emergency Dentist
As soon as the accident or injury happens, it is best to contact the nearest and available dental emergency services near your area to get an appointment. They have trained dental staff as call operators who can get your information so you can secure an appointment at the earliest time possible. They are also able to give you tips and instructions on how to handle the situation while you are waiting for your appointment. For instance, your call operator may give you some home remedy tips that you can try to help you relieve some symptoms of your injury. They can also assess your condition through your verbalised symptoms so that they can triage you to see the emergency dentist earlier than possible.
Things To Take Note Of When Seeing The Emergency Dentist
The cost. Most emergency dentists are covered by dental insurance. But if your medical insurance does not have dental coverage, you may anticipate that the cost of their fees is slightly higher than the regular dental consultation fees.
Other medical-related conditions. There are instances where a dental problem is in conjunction with a bad medical injury like a bitten tongue or a fractured jaw. If this is the case, it is best to go directly to an emergency department of the nearest hospital first so that the medical conditions associated with your tooth fracture, for example, may be addressed first.
Dental schools. There are training dental offices or clinics that allow dental students to practice and provide services with direct supervision of a dental professional or specialist. During your dental emergency, your emergency dentist may ask for your permission if he and a dental student in training can actually perform the procedures or treatments on you. This can be in exchange for a lower service charge, sometimes even making your visit free of charge.
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