A dental emergency can be a scary thing to go through, but you will need to seek help quickly in order to reduce potential long term damage to your teeth and mouth. While you might be afraid to see the dentist, putting off your emergency and prolonging the time you see the dentist can be pretty detrimental to your oral health and overall well-being. 

You can experience a dental emergency at any time of day, and your family dentist might not be available to help you. Many people’s first instinct is to visit the emergency room, but this might not be the best decision since they will most likely not have the right tools or staff to take care of dental emergencies. 

This is why you should choose an emergency dental clinic before the emergency happens. This means you won’t need to frantically look for an emergency dentist when the time comes. You will be prepared just in case. Here are some helpful tips to make picking an emergency dentist easier. 

Pick one in your local area 

When you are going through an emergency, the last thing you would want to do is travel a long distance in order to receive help. This is why you should try and find an emergency dentist who is within 20 to 30 minutes of the places that you are located in most often, whether that be your home, school or your workplace.

Look at their reputation

Just like you wouldn’t go to a new restaurant without looking up their reviews, it is also a good idea to pick a dentist who has a good reputation. A dental clinic’s website or brochure could say they have great services, however you can learn much more from customer reviews. You also shouldn’t discredit the clinic after reading a single review, but rather take everything with a grain of salt and think about the reviews as a whole. 

Be sure of their hours

There is no way to predict emergencies. This is why you should find an emergency dental clinic with good availability. Check that they will be open beyond your family dentist’s opening hours, or if they have a 24/7 phone line and accept patients on an emergency basis. Finding a responsive emergency dentist is crucial. After all, you can only get the help you need if your dentist or clinic actually picks up the phone. 

Ask them about their costs

Price can be a factor when you are looking for an emergency dental clinic, so it’s good to check out the costs before you visit your dentist. If you have dental insurance, your insurance provider could give you a list of emergency dental clinics which will accept your plan.

Ask them about the ages that they treat

This is an important factor, if you have children or elderly family members, since some dental clinics will only treat adults.Â