Emergency Dental Help: Always Available

Emergency Dental Help: Always Available

It’s Murphy’s Law of Parenthood: Your child’s teeth will be fine until our office has closed for the day. So what should you do when it’s 9 p.m. and your kindergartner cracks a tooth, your son suddenly complains of terrible pain from an unrecognized infection or your teenage daughter breaks her braces?

In some cases, a hospital emergency room will be your best bet. Jaw fractures or serious cuts to the mouth that require immediate medical care are best left to the hospital. But other dental problems, such as those mentioned above, also need urgent attention—and hospital emergency rooms are often not equipped to handle these, and the fees for such services can be high.

Of course, Dr. Jared should be the first person you call. When you reach the office, you will hear a recorded message telling you what to do in case of emergency. If we are unable to see you after-hours, we will direct you to an on-call substitute. Keep this information handy so that if and when an emergency occurs, you won’t waste time searching for the number to call.

However, emergency dentistry is more of a stop-gap than a final solution. Most substitute dentists contacted in an emergency will make your child more comfortable and apply temporary fixes that will suffice until he or she comes in to see us during normal office hours.

If you are not sure whether your child’s problem requires after-hours care or if it can wait until morning, don’t hesitate to call our office. With more and more practices offering after-hours care, there’s really no good reason to sit there worrying, with a child in tears, waiting for the office to open!

Call us to schedule an appointment today! (509)-891-7070.