Do you have a good emergency dentist on hand? Most people don’t think about emergency dentistry until a situation occurs where it is needed. If you or your child has a dental emergency, such as a knocked out or broken tooth, you don’t want to be frantically searching for an emergency dentist at that time. It is better to have one ready to call if such a situation were to arise. Acting fast increases your chances of a positive outcome, for instance, saving a knocked out tooth.
How do you find a good emergency dentist? Here’s what you need to look for when it comes to choosing a dental practice that handles emergencies.
Start With Your Current Dentist
Many dental practices handle dental emergencies both during and after hours for their patients. Check with your current dental practice to see if they provide emergency dentistry services. If so, make sure you know the protocol for contacting them after hours. Most offices have an automated message if you call after hours that gives instructions for emergencies. In many cases you are required to leave a message and wait for a call back. If the situation is too serious for that, proceed to the emergency room instead.
Contact Your Dental Insurance Provider
If you are proactively searching for an emergency dentist, try asking your dental insurance provider for a list of in-network emergency dentists in your area. Rates tend to be lower and you’ll pay less out of pocket by going to an in-network dentist. However, if you are currently facing a dental emergency, you may not have time for this step.
Conduct an Online Search
Sometimes the best way to find an emergency dentist quickly is to do an online search. You’ll get a long list of emergency dentists in your area. To narrow them down you can read reviews if you have the time. Otherwise you can do a quick glance at how many stars they have under their name. You can also go by mileage to find the closest emergency dentist to your current location.
What to Do in a Dental Emergency
If you have a dental emergency, how you act in the first few minutes can make a big difference. Here’s how to handle some typical dental emergencies.
- Dislodged tooth. If a tooth is knocked out, pick it up by the crown (try to avoid touching the root), rinse it off, and put it back in place in your mouth. Bite down on a piece of gauze or a paper towel to hold the tooth in place and stop the bleeding. If you can’t put it back into the socket, put the tooth in a cup with saliva or milk to keep it from drying out. Apply pressure to the socket with gauze or a paper towel to stop the bleeding. Take the tooth with you to your emergency dentist.
- Severe toothache. A deep cavity or an infected tooth can cause severe tooth pain. If your pain is unmanageable, call an emergency dentist. In the meantime you can take over the counter pain medication to help reduce the pain.
- Mouth injury. If you have any other type of mouth injury, call an emergency dentist and wait for instructions. Do your best to stop any bleeding that occurs until you can receive emergency care.
In the case of a more serious emergency, call 911 or proceed to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Savannah Dental Solutions Provides Emergency Dentistry
The best way to prepare for dental emergencies is to become a regular patient at a dental practice that provides emergency dental services. Savannah Dental Solutions is a family dentist providing comprehensive dental care including emergency dentistry.
If an emergency occurs either during or after business hours, call (912) 354-1366.