When selecting an emergency dentist there are several things to consider. It is important to select the right dentist in order to make the process of recovering from a dental accident or infection much easier.
Tips for choosing an emergency dentist
By the time a dental emergency happens, it can be too late to spend time looking for a dentist online or asking a friend for referrals. At this point, people need to address the emergency and avoid the situation getting to a worse stage. Many people wind up at an emergency room, which is not the best choice.
While the emergency room can treat other wounds and injuries, it does not have the tools, equipment or the staff ready to handle dental emergencies. With that in mind, we recommend choosing an emergency dentist before it is necessary. Here are some tips to make it easier to find one:
#1. Look in your city or general area
In a dental emergency, no one wants to drive an hour to find a dentist. It is important to visit an emergency dentist within 20 or 30 minutes from the places that a family visits most often. For example, a dentist can be within 20 minutes of the kids' school and even closer to the house. If a patient has to drive far in an emergency situation, it can only increase stress and anxiety levels, making this an important consideration.
#2. Find one who accepts your dental insurance plan
Ask a dentist if they accept the family dental insurance. If they do not, it is good to know this prior to visiting them in an emergency. The insurance provider can also give a list of dentists who accept the plan and are open to treating patients on an emergency basis.
#3. Inquire about their hours
Find out what hours an emergency dentist is open. If there is a concern that a dental emergency may happen on the evening or weekends due to an event like regularly scheduled baseball games, it is wise to find a dentist who is open during those times. Otherwise, finding a dentist who accepts patients on an emergency basis is likely to do the trick.
#4. Find out what services they provide
Ask a dentist what services they offer. Finding one who treats patients on an emergency basis and also handles dental restorations will make life far easier. For example, if a tooth becomes chipped, it will be necessary to visit an emergency dentist. If that same dentist practices cosmetic dentistry and can restore the tooth using multiple solutions, there will be no need to have the rest of the dental work completed somewhere else.
#5. Ask what ages they treat
Find out what ages a dentist treats before a dental emergency strikes. If they only treat adult patients, visiting the dentist when a five-year-old chips his or her tooth is going to be of no use. Make a point to inquire about the age ranges a dentist cares for so that when an emergency strikes, your family heads in the right direction.
Choose a dentist today
Prepare for a dental emergency by choosing an emergency dentist now and keeping their information within easy reach.
An emergency dentist can provide quick relief for any urgent dental issue. But not all dental issues need immediate resolution. Knowing when to visit this dental care provider can give you the right type of care. Here are the details on when to see your emergency dentist.This condition is also called a partially dislodged tooth.…
A tooth abscess is a dental emergency because it has a risk of the infection expanding to other parts of the body. If an abscess spreads to the brain, it can have life-threatening effects.Abscesses can be incredibly painful, and the pain is often accompanied by swelling. The severity of the pain and swelling is often…
If a patient has cracked, chipped, or broken a tooth, a licensed emergency dentist can provide quick relief in a variety of ways and ultimately repair the tooth to make it look whole again. This type of tooth damage can happen to anyone, but a person may be more at risk for this type of…
While it is always a good idea to have an emergency dentist on call, individuals can avoid a dental emergency and all the pain, cost and hassle that comes with one by taking preventative measures. In many cases, this simply entails adopting healthy lifestyle habits.Dental emergencies, which range from toothache to fractured teeth to abscesses,…
Braces have been used for teeth straightening treatments for centuries, and they remain one of the options a dentist might recommend for patients with teeth alignment issues like overbites, crossbites, crooked, and misaligned teeth.Besides ruining the way your smile looks, these teeth alignment problems can also lead to symptoms like headaches, toothaches, and jaw pain.…
Your teeth and gums are crucial to your overall preventative dental care. Gum disease is a severe dental problem that can lead to more than just tooth decay. If left unchecked, gum disease will eventually spread to other organs in the body and cause severe damage.Fortunately, there are many ways you can prevent gum disease…