Like any medical emergency, dental emergencies require immediate attention. The longer you have to wait for a dentist, the worse it might get. Besides, dental emergencies are usually associated with intense pain – another reason to visit an emergency dentist immediately. When a dental emergency strikes, finding the best emergency dentist South Dakota might appear to be a challenge.
Experienced emergency dentists like those at Teledentistry can provide you with the necessary care and prescribe the medications immediately. However, the prime challenge is finding the right emergency dentist. As with almost any field of healthcare, there are plenty of professionals specializing in dentistry.
Finding a top emergency dentist may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. Knowing what to look for will help you quickly identify the right one. Besides, staying aware of leading emergency dentistry clinics near you is always a good idea. You never know when a dental emergency may occur – it’s best to stay prepared. Here are eight tips on how to go about it:
1. Look for online consultations
This is the first and foremost thing to remember when looking for an emergency dentist. During emergencies, you can’t afford to waste much time visiting a dentist unless there’s an emergency dental clinic very close by. You need immediate professional attention, and that’s where online consultations come into play.
The leading clinics providing emergency dental care offer online services, meaning you can consult the dentist right from home. Check with the best online dental consultation providers to consult an expert dentist immediately.
2. Consider a dentist’s location
Dental emergencies also make it imperative to find an emergency dentist near you, says this dental expert who does dental implants in Redwood City CA. The online consultation will help you get the preliminary medication and home remedies to control pain or bleeding. However, you’ll likely still need to visit a dentist’s clinic for complete treatment, as the dentist can’t fix a damaged tooth online. Consulting an emergency dentist near you means you can visit the same dentist for a follow-up later on.
3. Check the wait times
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. To treat a dental emergency, you need to find a dentist available instantly. Finding an emergency dentist quickly is of no good if you have to wait for hours before they can attend to you.
Make sure that you’re able to set up an appointment with the dentist immediately. With the best dentist clinics that offer online consultation for dental emergencies, getting an appointment is only a matter of a few clicks.
4. 24/7 availability
Of course, a dental emergency can occur anytime, and a good emergency dentistry service would be available round the clock. This is one of the key aspects where emergency dentistry varies from regular dental clinics – the latter is open only during specific hours.
Finding an emergency dental clinic with 24/7 availability is also necessary so that you can always count on them for future emergencies at inconvenient times.
5.Go through the dentist profiles
It’s always advisable to go through a doctor’s profile to check their credentials, regardless of the specialty. The same applies to dentists too. Especially when you’re suffering from a dental emergency, it’s usually a major problem that requires the attention of a skilled and experienced dentist.
A good emergency dentist can provide you with the best advice, even during online consultations, without checking your teeth physically. Leading online dental care service providers provide detailed profiles of their dental experts on their websites.
6. Pricing and insurance coverage
Pricing is an aspect you can never ignore when it comes to healthcare since it can get very expensive at times. Before you book an appointment with an emergency dentist in South Dakota, inquire about the fees.
Reputed dental clinics require you to book in advance and are upfront about the expenses. They’ll let you know if you have to follow up with them for any treatment procedures that may incur additional costs. Also, make sure the online consultation is covered by your insurance.
7. Go through online reviews
The best part about finding the right dental care services nowadays is the availability of online reviews. Check the firsthand experiences of other individuals through their reviews for the best online emergency dental care services.
Besides, reviews will also help you narrow down to the best dentist by providing you with relevant information. The best dental clinics out there also share the reviews for all their dentists on their websites and even provide information on their patient loyalty. This way, you can choose a dentist who has a good track record and gets return visits from patients.
8. Check for additional perks
Once you have shortlisted a few reputed dental clinics and online dental care services, you can narrow down your options based on any additional perks they offer. For instance, Teledentistry offers to forward your prescription to your local drugstore so that you can go and pick up your medicines quickly.
The best online dentistry services also refer emergency patients to dentists near them for future follow-ups. Such additional services would ensure a smoother and more convenient experience.
What kind of treatments may follow a dental emergency?
Unless your dental emergency is just an intense toothache that can be treated with medication alone, you’ll usually need additional treatment. Standard procedures that may follow dental emergencies include:
- Tooth extraction: In case a tooth’s pulp is badly inflamed or infected, removing it might be the only way.
- Dental implants: You may have to get dental implants to replace extracted or broken teeth.
- Dental filling: For reversible dental diseases or fractured teeth, dentists use dental fillings to fill up the hollows and gaps.
- Root canal treatment: Bacterial infections, pulpal inflammations, and broken or loose teeth may require root canal treatment.
- Bonding: Dentists repair damaged or chipped teeth using a resin – a procedure known as bonding.
Endnote
Regardless of how serious your dental emergency is, timely and expert care can prevent it from worsening. Prioritize immediate consultations for dental emergencies – it will save you a lot of pain besides starting the treatment early. At Teledentistry, you can expect emergency dental treatment 24/7. Whether you suffer from intense toothache in the middle of the night or get your tooth knocked off, be swift enough to schedule a consultation with the experts.