Visit Our Emergency Dentist Office Instead of the Local ER

Posted on: April 1, 2015

Emergency DentistAs an emergency dentist, we understand that it is very rare for a person to actually plan a visit to the emergency clinic. Most people go through life not even considering the potential that they might need urgent care of the medical variety, much less that of the dental nature. Teeth are so much a part of our unconscious brain that we rarely even think about them other than to brush or when, on occasion, something gets stuck in them. As such, it is rare for a person to plan a situation where they might need the services of an emergency dentist. All dentists will tell you to take good care of your teeth, avoid foods that could hurt your enamel, and have a balanced diet. This has lulled many people into a false sense of security, believing that these measures are sufficient to prevent their teeth from ever needing urgent care. Unfortunately, there are situations that arise which can cause you to seek us out. Things like accidents, loss of a tooth, or the onset of some kind of gum disease can cause you in tremendous discomfort. All of these and more are typically situations people do not anticipate and certainly do not plan for.

As an emergency dentist, we are not the same as an emergency room doctor, despite the reoccurrence of the word emergency. An ER doctor is trained to deal with a number of situations in an expert manner. They are not, however, trained to deal with a dental emergency other than to treat the symptoms. As such, an ER doctor and staff will give you something for the pain, make sure you are not bleeding, and discharge you to go see your dentist the next day. We are actually a dentist who has spent years studying and working with the human mouth. As a result, when you visit our office, we will treat the root cause of the problem besides relieving you of the discomfort. Unfortunately, too many people believe that they can get the same treatment in an emergency room. A study conducted by the Federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which covered 24 states over a three-year period, found that the number of people looking for emergency dental care in an ER increased over 16% during the study period. This is a problem because over 20% of the people who came into the emergency room, returned with the same dental problem as they originally came in with because the underlying issue was never solved.

Different things bring people into our emergency dentist office. The most common reason that we hear, and a reason that typically drives someone to go to the local ER, is a toothache. Toothaches can be severely debilitating. It is important to know that toothaches are often a symptom, and you need to see a qualified dentist to determine if there is a root cause for the pain. Other reasons that bring people in to see us are cracked and chipped teeth, the loss of a filing, or a tooth that has accidentally been knocked out. As an emergency dentist, we are equipped to treat all of your oral health problems, whatever they may be and we can do it quickly.


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