What Happens When You Visit an Emergency Dentist?

An emergency dentist is always on call when the unexpected happens and you find yourself in need of urgent dental care. Because emergencies happen at the most inconvenient times, a dental practice that offers emergency care usually stays open for longer hours. During its long office hours, the practice will take walk-in patients.

When the practice closes for the day, a contact person remains on call so that they can respond to patients that may need emergency dental care. Emergency dentists have a wide set of skills that makes them able to treat all sorts of dental problems. If you ever have the misfortune of finding yourself in need of an emergency dentist, here is what you should expect.

The front office or the contact person

If a patient walks into an open emergency dentistry practice, they will find someone manning the reception. This person will take the patient's information and call the dentist. If the dental practice is closed, the patient will call a contact person. Then both the patient and the dentist will meet up at the dental practice.

1. Exam and diagnosis

Next, the patient will be taken to the dentist’s office for a visual exam. During the exam, the dentist will ask the patient about their dental problem. They will take a medical history, do a visual exam and where necessary, get some x-ray images of the problem tooth. The dentist will use the information they collect to form a diagnosis, which will inform the treatment.

2. Anesthetic

Before the dentist starts to treat the dental problem, they will numb their patient’s tooth.

3. Treatment

The dentist will proceed to treat the patient. The type of procedure the dentist chooses will depend on the dental emergency. For example:

• A dentist will replace a loose filling with a new filling or a different kind of restoration
• If a patient has a loose tooth, the dentist will attach it
• If the patient's braces break or come loose, the dentist will repair them
• A dentist will also treat tooth decay by removing the infected dental tissue and restoring the tooth
• A dentist will treat pulpitis with a root canal

These are just a few of the many procedures that an emergency dentist can perform on short notice. The ones listed above just happen to be the most common.

4. Medication

Based on the patient's medical history and the nature of their emergency, the dentist will prescribe suitable medicine. They will often prescribe and dispense painkillers to help with pain management after treatment. If the patient has a serious infection, the dentist may prescribe medicine to help fight the infection.

5. Aftercare and follow-up

Finally, the emergency dentist will give them advice on aftercare and recovery. Before the patient leaves, the dentist may schedule a follow-up appointment.

Have the contact info of an emergency dentist close by

The treatment you will receive from an emergency dentist is quite similar to that given by your regular dentist. The only major difference is that you can see an emergency dentist outside of office hours and without an appointment. This makes an emergency dentist your best friend when you are in a bind.

You never know when life will decide to present you or yours with a massive toothache or an elbow to the mouth. That is why you should check out our emergency dentist in San Antonio. Keep our contact information close. You may need it someday.

Request an appointment here: https://www.preferreddentalcenter.com or call Preferred Dental Center at (210) 822-8500 for an appointment in our San Antonio office.

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