Let's picture a simple scenario to determine when it's appropriate to visit an emergency dentist. You trip over a pair of slippers on your way to the kitchen, sending you crashing face first into one of the counters. The end result; a severely broken tooth and you possibly yelling at whoever left their slippers in your path.
Absolutely! That's exactly what emergency dentists are there for. To handle serious dental injuries that have to be addressed immediately. Other reasons to seek the services of an emergency dentist include: severe tooth pain, serious infections, and facial injuries that result in lost or damaged teeth and fractured facial bones.
Obviously, not all dental issues are emergencies, so it comes down to asking yourself if your dental issue really needs to be addressed immediately. Examples of dental injuries that don't require the immediate attention of a dentist include moderately chipped and realigned teeth.
If you aren't sure what category your dental injury falls under, all you have to do is call your dentist's office for guidance on what to do.
If your dental emergency happens during normal business hours, the first thing you should do is contact your dentist to inform him/her of your situation. If your emergency happens during off hours, your first stop should be your dentist's office's on-call dentist. If that's not an option, head to the nearest emergency room.
Expect the dentist that sees you during an emergency to focus primarily on the emergency that brought you to the clinic in the first place, rather than whatever other dental issues you're dealing with, unless those issues are somehow connected to your current emergency.
The job of an emergency dentist is to address any immediate health issues you're facing due to your injury. Expect follow up appointments with your dentist or some other specialist.
For example, if a person walks into an emergency room with pain and severe bleeding from a lost tooth, the on-call dentist will only address the pain and bleeding. The dentist will also do whatever is possible to prevent an infection in this scenario, but that's about it. It's still up to the patient to follow up with an oral surgeon to discuss implant options.
Dental emergencies can happen to you or your loved ones at the most unexpected times. It's up to you to make sure you're ready to handle any emergencies that come up. It's always a good idea to keep your dentist's emergency number on you at all times, and if you ever find yourself in a situation where you aren't sure if what you're dealing with counts as a dental emergency, don't hesitate to call your dentist's office to figure out if the dental injury you're dealing with requires an immediate visit or if it can wait a few days
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