Here's What You Need To Know About Emergency Dental Care

May 17, 2022

The term “emergencies” is not often associated with dental health, especially since dentist appointments are usually set in advance. However, dental emergencies are actually quite common. For example, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that in 2018 alone, there were more than 2 million dental-related emergency department visits in the country. Studies also show that there has been a 45% increase in the need for emergency dental treatment in 2020. Most of these emergency visits are due to progressive and cumulative diseases, meaning that patients already had them for a while but did not seek medical intervention immediately.

There are many reasons as to why people do not seek immediate intervention when it comes to dental issues, such as lack of time and anxiety. While being anxious before a visit to the dentist is normal, scheduling a dentist appointment, however, is an entirely different issue, especially when it comes to emergency dental situations. This is where emergency dentistry comes in.

What is Emergency Dentistry?

As its name suggests, emergency dentistry deals with dental issues that require immediate attention. Typically, patients schedule dentist appointments ahead of time, and these are mostly for regular dental consultations that involve cleaning and dental check-ups. However, even if you know a good dentist, this cannot guarantee that you can see them for emergency situations, such as when you chip a tooth or experience severe tooth pain. This is why knowing where to find a good emergency dental clinic is important.

Emergency dentists are able to quickly diagnose a dental issue and determine the necessary treatment for it. Unlike regular dentists that often require appointments, emergency dentists allow walk-in patients and same day treatments, thus ensuring that your emergency dental concern is taken care of.

When Must You Visit an Emergency Dental Clinic?

As mentioned earlier, emergency clinics help address dental issues that require immediate care. Emergency dentists can treat a wide variety of dental concerns, as long as they require immediate attention. However, the most common dental problems that require prompt attention from emergency dentists are when you knock out or chip a tooth, when you have a dental abscess, or when you lose a crown or filling.

While these might not seem like emergency situations at first glance, they do require immediate care. A chipped or cracked tooth, for example, can result in pain and further complications, including swelling of the gums, increased sensitivity to hold and cold food or drinks, bad breath, and sore neck glands. Meanwhile, an untreated dental abscess may lead to dental cysts and osteomyelitis, which happens when bacteria gets into your bloodstream and infects your bones. These complications can range from mild to severe, so it is important to avoid them by seeking emergency dental care.

What Makes a Good Emergency Dentist?

As is the nature of emergencies, you never know when they can happen. As such, it is best to already have an emergency dentist in mind in case any dental emergencies occur. This will allow you to ensure that you are confident and comfortable with the level of emergency care that you will receive. There are at least three things that you need to look for when it comes to looking for an emergency dentist.

The first thing that you need to look for in an emergency dentist is their experience. Look for an emergency dentist with years of hands-on emergency care experience, as this often translates to their capacity to effectively handle various emergency situations. Aside from the dentist’s experience, you might also have to look at their office hours and wait times. Longer wait times will not work in cases of an emergency, so look for a dentist clinic with short wait times and longer office hours. Ideally, they should be open on weekends as well. Finally, look for a dentist whose practice is located near you so that your travel time in cases of emergency won’t be an issue.

Taking care of your overall oral health is important, which means that regularly visiting your dentist should be a part of your routine. For dental issues that require immediate attention, however, you can rest assured that emergency dentists can help to address your dental problems swiftly and effectively.

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