Nobody ever plans on suffering from a dental emergency, but unfortunately, urgent oral health issues like toothaches can strike when you least expect it. As such, you should already have an emergency dentist you can turn to for urgent dental care. But how can you be sure that you’ve chosen the right practice? Below are 5 key traits that you should make sure your emergency dentist has.
1. They Offer Same-Day Appointments
When it comes to dental emergencies, it’s essential for your dentist to be able to see you in a timely manner if the worst happens. Ideally, your dentist should offer same-day appointments for patients with dental emergencies. That way, they’ll be able to see you as quickly as possible if you are ever in need of urgent dental care.
2. They Offer a Wide Range of Treatment Options
Dental emergencies can take many different forms and can have a variety of causes. As such, a good emergency dentist must be prepared to deal with various situations. Check the services that your dentist offers in order to get a feel for what kinds of dental emergencies they can potentially help with.
3. They Provide Different Forms of Sedation Dentistry
By their nature, dental emergencies can be very stressful, especially for patients who were already struggling with dental fears and anxieties beforehand. It’s therefore worth checking to see whether your emergency dentist offers different forms of sedation dentistry that can help you stay calm in the dental chair. From nitrous oxide sedation to oral conscious sedation to IV sedation, there are multiple methods that dentists can potentially use to help their patients stay in a relaxed state while they receive important dental care.
4. They Have Plenty of Experience
Plenty of dentists offer emergency dental services. However, some of them have more experience than others, which can make all the difference for the quality of your care. It’s worth checking your dentist’s bio page to see how many years of experience they have under their belt. That way, you can be sure that you’re putting your smile in the hands of someone who has already helped many patients protect the health of their grins.
5. They Offer Routine Dental Procedures as Well
Why have separate dentists for emergency care and routine checkups when you can simply find someone who can handle both? A good emergency dentist is one you can also count on for high-quality preventive care. With this approach, if you ever do have a dental emergency, your dentist will already be familiar with your oral health history and therefore will be in a stronger position to provide you with the care that you deserve.
About the Author
Dr. Sherriff Ali has been in practice as a dentist for more than 20 years. His Wesley Chapel practice, Kaizen Family Dentistry, proudly offers same-day emergency appointments along with a wide range of dental services. He cares about keeping his patients comfortable, which is why he provides different forms of sedation dentistry. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Ali, visit his website or call (813) 461-3463.