Emergency dental clinics are now on the rise to popularity, but there are still some dental patients who would rather wait in line for a doctor to look at them at an emergency department than have an emergency dentist look at it. If worse comes to worst, let us find out what scenarios can a patient have that can warrant emergency room for dental pain and what should be dealt with by a dentist. If you are in need of quality dental services, BID’s clinic located in Castle Hills is one of the most convenient places you can go.
Emergency room for dental pain: Do or Don’t
Why do people go to the emergency room for dental pain? It may be because of 2 things – misinformation and cost.
Misinformation is a culprit in having dental patients seek attention in emergency rooms because they do not know what scenarios can be considered an emergency, and they think emergency departments of hospitals have dentists on deck.
The cost of a dental consultation is also a culprit because we all know that dental coverage is very limited to insurance policies. If patients present their condition as a medical issue than a dental one, chances of it getting covered are high.
Why not bring a dental issue to the ER?
The best answer to this is because there are no dentists in the ER. Dental problems are easily dealt with by a professional dentist. A physician or resident doctor, no matter how experienced they may be, would not know how to treat a dental condition, much more perform treatments and procedures. They may only give pain medications and other first-aid measures, but it is still the true capacity of a dentist to care and provide treatment for you.
What dental conditions warrant emergency room checkup?
There are, however, instances that a patient can go directly to the emergency room for dental pain. If the pain is sustained through a hit on the face during a fight or an accident, the doctor can look at your injuries and consider you as an emergency patient. Also, if the condition you are feeling is in a position where it is not just toothache and you have noticed it is accompanied by puffiness on the affected part of your face that extends down to your neckline, and it somehow is causing you to have difficulty breathing, it is time to go directly to the ER. That is a situation where doctors need to see you as soon as possible since this is not just a dental condition, but a serious medical issue that needs to be treated immediately.
Bottom line? If you have a dental problem, visit the dentist. If the pain cannot be contained at home or no home medication can alleviate it, schedule an appointment with the nearest emergency dentist clinic. A hospital ER can alleviate the pain temporarily, but they cannot treat it. Make sure to consult your dentist at once so he can give you appropriate measures for your discomfort.
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