Emergency Dentist Near Me

You may have never considered what you would do if you or someone in your family had a poulsbo dental emergency. That’s ok! When a dental emergency happens, you need to be prepared. You should know there are many dental clinics that provide emergency services. Below is some basic information and tips to get your started learning about emergency dental services and how to find services near you.

What is a Dental Emergency?

Not every accident involving the teeth or mouth is a dental emergency. Some accidents or oral injuries may be painful, but may not require emergency dental services. The first step to determine if your accident requires emergency services is to make a good assessment. When you call your dentist, they are going to ask a few important questions. Before you call, you can ask yourself these questions:

• How severe the injury to your teeth or gums? A severe injury may involve losing adult teeth or excessive bleeding.
• Is there a serious infection or abscess causing the pain? An infection or abscess will involve soreness and severe swelling.
• Is there heavy bleeding? If you recently had a dental procedure completed you may be experiencing heavy bleeding post-procedure.
• Were you in an accident that involved chipping or fracturing your teeth?

While not every chipped or fractured tooth requires emergency dental services, if any of the symptoms above sound familiar it may be worthwhile to contact your dentist and try to find emergency dental services near you. If your condition involves heavy bleeding, severe pain, or the loss or damage to teeth, than you should immediately seek out emergency dental services.

Where Should You Go?

You’ve made an assessment and decided you or your family member needs emergency dental services. Where do you go? It is common for people to think the best place to go is the hospital emergency room (ER).  But the ER is not the place to go for a dental emergency because ERs are not setup to properly treat oral injuries. Instead of the ER, it is important to seek out emergency dental services from a dental practitioner. In fact, visiting the ER first may end up just delaying the care needed. There are some accidents that may require a visit to the ER, such as those involving an injury to the face or tissue with excessive bleeding or large wounds. In these cases, it is important to get the bleeding stopped and address any wounds or lacerations immediately.

Finding Emergency Dental Services Near You

If you think your accident or injury may need emergency services, you should call your dentist's office immediately. The dental clinic staff will provide you guidance on what your next steps should be. Depending on the time of day, it may even be possible for the dentist to see you within a few hours. If they are not able to fit you in, the clinic staff will help you determine if you need emergency services and where you should go. If it is after regular office hours, the dental clinic voicemail may have details including providing emergency numbers you can call or instructions on what to do in an emergency.

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