How to Find an Emergency Dentist

If you have ever been in a situation where you need an emergency dentist, you know that it is not the easiest thing to identify and go to one when you are already in an emergency dental situation. Dental accidents happen, just like regular accidents, when people least expect them and often on their leisure time. Most people have no idea who they would call under these circumstances which often leads to panic. It is important to know how to find an emergency, dentist. Many patients end up in the wrong place which usually happens to be the emergency room of your local hospital. When a child happens to be the one who is injured, the panic is even a little bit more real so it is important that you find out where you can get emergency dentist services beforehand. First of all, you should not assume that just because you have a dentist, that they provide emergency care. This may not be true as many dentists are your regular 9 am to 5 pm variety. Speak with your dentist. If they do not do the services themselves, there is a good chance that they know and can recommend another emergency dentist to contact in the event of an emergency.

Some people prefer to be familiar with the dentist before they have a procedure. That being said, you may want to consider switching to a provider who does both general dentist and emergency dentist work. Another option is to speak with friends and family about their providers, finding out if any of them has used or know of an emergency dentist. Of course, you are already on the site of an emergency dentist so we would be happy to have you call us. In the event that you are searching the internet for your emergency provider, you will want to do things like check references and reviews before you go to see this dentist. Once you know who you want to see, verify that your insurance will pay for this provider and also find out what services you may need to pay for out of pocket. This can prevent sticker shock later if your insurance does not cover sufficient costs. Finally, write down and keep the name and number of your new emergency dentist on an emergency contact list.

People often ask what they should do in the interim between the incident happening and finding an emergency dentist. In the event that you have a toothache, we would recommend taking the prescribed dose of an over the counter pain medication and then rinsing your mouth out with lukewarm water. If there is some kind of swelling on the outside, a cold compress may help. Do not apply anything to the gums themselves. If you have chipped off a piece or broken off part of the tooth, you will want to collect all the parts you can and place them in cool milk to transport to the dentist. Stem any bleeding by applying gauze and holding it with light pressure for around 10 minutes. If you have excessive bleeding, you will want to dial 911.