Don't Be Afraid to Make an Emergency Dental Appointment

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Why You Should Choose An Emergency Dentist Over The Emergency Room For Dental Pain

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With so many Americans not having dental insurance, it seems that dental emergencies are being treated in emergency rooms more often. The truth is that emergency rooms are not always the best place to have a dental emergency treated. Emergency dentists are often a far better choice. Before you go to the emergency room with your next dental problem, here are a few things that you should know.

Emergency Rooms Are Often More Expensive

The fees for emergency room care are often far higher than the costs of dental care, even when it's emergency dental care. Similarly, the fees for emergency room services for dental issues are far more expensive than preventative dental care. Many insurance plans won't cover emergency room visits for dental issues, so you'd be paying for it out of pocket anyway. Luckily, you can also seek payment plans for many emergency dentists, which makes it easier to cover the costs.

Dentists Are More Skilled At Dental Work

Emergency rooms are staffed by medical doctors, but those medical doctors have far less dental care training than a dentist has. For that reason, it's in your best interest to have dental emergencies handled by a dentist, not by an emergency room physician. Receiving the proper care for your dental problem will help you preserve your dental health and limit the risk of complications due to improper or incomplete care. 

You Can Manage Pain At Home

Sometimes people seek emergency room care for their dental problems because they are looking for immediate relief from the pain. The good news is that you don't need to go to the emergency room to deal with your dental pain while you're waiting to get into the emergency dentist. You can manage pain at home with a few tips. For example, aspirin can help you manage your discomfort. In addition, topical pain gels can help ease your discomfort as well. An ice pack placed on the jaw where the pain is may also help. For nerve pain, you can apply clove oil to the affected tooth. Applying it every few hours may help to dull the nerve and relieve the pain.

As you can see, there are several reasons why your local emergency room isn't the best choice for dental problems. If you're struggling with a dental emergency, such as a broken tooth or other problem, you should reach out to your local emergency dentist instead. He or she can treat it while you're waiting for an appointment with your regular dentist.


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