Wondering how to find an emergency dentist? You would not be alone because every year thousands of people find themselves in exactly the same predicament. Dental accidents happen all the time and usually when we are least expecting them. This leaves the person in a bit of a panic, wondering how to find an emergency dentist. In the case of a child being injured, playing sports, for example, the need to quickly identify and reach out to an emergency dentist becomes even more important. There are several ways you can find an emergency dentist. Our recommendation is to be proactive and start the search before you ever have the need for these kinds of service. There are a few dentists that offer emergency dental treatment but, unlike hospitals, not all dentists are able to offer emergency medical treatment. You should start your search by talking to your provider.
If you already have a dentist and they do not provide you with dental care in an emergency situation, they will probably have a recommended dentist that they work with who does. Naturally, if that does not work, you can talk to friends and family about their dentist and seek out the ones that do offer emergency dental care. The other option on how to find an emergency dentist is to do a google search, looking for an emergency dentist. This can be hit and miss sometimes so you will want to actually call the dentist office to find out if they do offer emergency dental services. We recommend you read reviews and testimonials before picking your emergency dentist. This can only be done if you are working proactively to select an emergency dentist before the incident occurs. Once you have identified who your provider is, you will want to make sure that they are covered by your insurance. We recommend writing them down along with their contact information in an emergency contact list. That way when, and if, an emergency dental situation arises, you will not be wasting precious time looking for a provider.
People often wonder what to do in certain emergency dentist situations while they are trying to figure out how to find an emergency dentist. Here are a few tips –
For a severe toothache: Take a recommended dose of an over the counter pain reliever, then rinse your mouth out with warm water. If something is stuck in your teeth, try to extract it gently using floss and without using a sharp object. You can also apply a cold compress if the outside of your mouth is swollen.
A chipped or broken tooth: Find the parts of the tooth, as many as you can, and place them into a container with cool milk. You will want to make sure to stem any bleeding that may be occurring with gauze, placed with light pressure for approximately 10 minutes or until the bleeding stops.
Lost filling: Place a piece of sugarless gum into the cavity as a temporary measure. Do not use gum that has sugar as it will cause you additional pain.
In each of these scenarios, you want to have the number of your emergency dentist handy and reach out to them as soon as you have taken these temporary measures.
