What To Do In A Dental Emergency
It’s hard to believe that December has arrived and the new year is right around the corner. We know many of our patients are in the thick of planning for upcoming holiday events, shopping for loved ones, and attending holiday parties and get-togethers. With all of the holiday merriment, it’s important to remember that a dental emergency can happen at any time. While we would hate for anyone to experience an emergency during the holiday season, we want to share some important information to remember if you find yourself or a loved one dealing with a dental emergency.
Dealing with any discomfort in the mouth or dental trauma can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to determine what to do next. When a dental emergency occurs, it is important to remain calm and assess the situation. Whether you have extreme discomfort or you notice blood coming from your mouth, the first thing to do is determine the location of the emergency and the severity of the problem. There is a big difference between slight discomfort, a cracked tooth, or a tooth that has been knocked out. We recommend calling our office as soon as possible and let our staff help you determine whether you need an immediate appointment, you can be seen in a few days, or you need to head to the emergency room.
How to Prevent a Dental Emergency
One of the best ways to help prevent a dental emergency is to maintain your routine hygiene examination and cleaning appointments every six months. During this appointment, we inspect the teeth for any problem areas that may be in need of treatment such as a dental filling. When appointments are delayed or treatments are postponed, problem areas in the mouth continue to grow until they become a problem. If it has been longer than six months since your last appointment, we recommend scheduling your next visit today. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of any remaining insurance benefits before they reset at the end of the year.
As mentioned above, if you find yourself dealing with a dental emergency, it is extremely important to remain calm and assess the situation. For anything severe, we recommend heading to the nearest emergency room. Otherwise, be sure to call our office located in Phoenix, AZ, and we can schedule an appointment for you. We hope you have a happy and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in our office soon!
