Planning for Tooth Emergencies

Academy Dental is a warm, inviting SPA-themed dentist facility in Hamilton, and is rated as one of the best places by Hulafrog for dental treatment. Dr. Navleen Thind, D.D.S. is a trusted dentist who practices adults and kids’ dentistry, along with her colleagues Dr. Steven Reff D.D.S. (Dental Implants), Dr. Pankaj Puri D.D.S. (Orthodontics) and Dr. Gunjan Parmar D.D.S.

Today, Dr. Thind is sharing her four top tips to help you manage dental emergencies, and importantly, plan ahead so you are best equipped to handle one:

1. First Things First: Choosing a dentist, and trusting them to care for your happy, healthy smile is an important decision most families make. First things that come to mind are if you are adequately covered should you need any dental work. Selecting a dental insurance plan which has a wider selection of dentists can already set you far ahead. Certain plans limit acceptance at a specific dental practice, generally known as DMO or HMO plans. In comparison, PPO plans allow patients to visit any doctor who is in their network. In addition, most such plans also have out of network benefits, ultimately allowing patients to virtually see any dentist practice. When in an emergency, it is utmost important to have as much flexibility in who you can see for urgent care, so making the right decisions for yourself and your family are critical. Planning ahead, making the right choices and investing wisely in the selection of coverage that your family needs can yield great success later.

2. Emergencies on Vacation: Spring time is here, and soon you will be travelling for your next vacation. While away from home, it is important to be ready to handle any dental emergency. Chances are that travelling out of state, your insurance may have limitations, and it may be harder to find a dentist that can provide care. Supplemental dental insurance for travel can be a way to be prepared, and it is good to check out any dentists which accept your supplementary insurance should the need arise. However, having your family dentist reachable via online, phone or social media can be a great way to still get some advice, or tips while travelling. Keep your dentist’s emergency line handy, and be sure to like their social media pages so they know you well in advance when you need them! Packing a small medical kit with some pain medicines, and gum ointment may help as an urgent palliative resource.

3. Dentist vs Emergency Room: A natural first response to any dental emergency is to call your family dentist for an urgent appointment. Most dental practices have limited office hours, with no late evening hours or weekend clinical days. This limits the availability of such practice to patients when they need them the most. Often, patients may call around for any other dentists who may accommodate them. In most situations, the hospital emergency room is the only way to seek urgent help. While helpful in terms of receiving urgent palliative care, most emergency rooms do not staff a dentist. After an expensive visit and long wait – patients are most certainly recommended to see a dentist as a follow-up for treatment. Academy Dental is open 7 days a week, which offers patients in Hamilton, Robbinsville, Lawrenceville and surrounding areas a great advantage to seek urgent care. Offering online appointment scheduling 24 hours a day provides great mental peace to patients that they have a secured spot to see the dentist at their earliest convenience. We welcome patients to check our extremely high levels of service and care, and benefit from our expanded coverage.

4. Secret Sauce (Continuing Care): Routine dental visits are key, and can help detect problems early so they can be addressed. Continuing care is the most reliable way to stay abreast of your oral health, and be informed about any concerns that need immediate attention. Dr. Thind provides her patients counselling on how to care for their teeth in between their regular, bi-annual visits. Her team of excellent Dental Hygienists are caring, and ensure all patients are provided with the same, gentle care and attention. Getting healthy and staying healthy prevents undue stress and expense that a dental emergency visit may involve. Regular appointment reminders from Academy Dental via text, phone and Birthday Postcards provide our patients a fairly easy way to be connected, and attend routine checkups. Check with your family dentist if they are also setup to keep yourself informed and are vested in your healthy smiles the same way as you are!