Do Emergency Rooms Have Dentists?
Do Emergency Rooms Have Dentists? When To See an Emergency Dentist Instead
People go to the emergency room for all sorts of ailments, including chest pain, breathing difficulties, fainting, severe bleeding, open wounds, and dizziness. If you’re experiencing horrendous tooth pain or other dental issues, it makes sense to wonder, “Do emergency rooms have dentists?”
The answer is no. Emergency rooms do not have the facilities to offer dental care nor do they employ dentists. However, they can help with some types of urgent care and get patients stabilized. For instance, ERs can treat fractured or dislodged teeth to a certain extent and keep severe pain under control. If you are dealing with an urgent dental matter, try calling your regular dentist for an emergency appointment.
Do Emergency Rooms Have Dentists?
You won’t find a dentist working in an emergency room, but ERs can treat knocked-out teeth, cracked teeth, severe toothache pain, abscesses, swelling, and soft tissue injuries to the mouth. ERs also take care of facial rashes, fever, swallowing difficulties, and symptoms associated with dental emergencies. If you are dealing with a bacterial tooth infection, ER staff may give you antibiotics.
In most ER dental cases, treatment takes the form of getting patients stabilized and then discharging them with the recommendation for follow-up care with their dentist. For serious health issues, the patient may be transferred to the hospital.
Go to the ER if you experience facial bone injuries, constant bleeding, or fierce pain and cannot reach your dentist. ER staffers do not pull teeth, nor can they perform emergency root canals, tooth extractions, and other types of dental care.
When Should You See an Emergency Dentist Instead?
Many times, it is better to see an emergency dentist instead of heading to the ER. In fact, your regular dentist is typically your emergency dentist. Dentists’ offices usually offer emergency contact information when you call outside of regular hours.
Generally, try to contact your dentist or emergency dentist unless an injury is life-threatening. If you cannot get in touch and are in bad shape, go to the ER, of course. Otherwise, an emergency dentist appointment might be more effective than an ER visit in the following types of scenarios:
- Painful swelling
- Aching tooth
- Symptoms of infection
- Potential abscess
- Loose or missing permanent teeth
- Persistent bleeding
In these situations, call your dentist to make an emergency appointment.
The next few scenarios do not constitute dental emergencies: mild toothache, broken teeth that are not causing serious pain, broken dentures, and lost implants. Do still call your dentist to make an appointment and strive to visit regularly. Going to the dentist at least twice a year keeps your teeth in good shape and catches problems before they become emergencies.
Do Emergency Rooms Have Dentists? Make an Emergency Dentist Appointment for Most of Your Urgent Needs
Contact us at Lakeshore Dental today if you’re experiencing a dental emergency or need dental care in Manitowoc, WI. The answer to, “Do emergency rooms have dentists?” is no, but you can get antibiotics and stabilization for certain emergencies. Overall, though, you are usually better off making emergency dentist appointments for most urgent dental issues.
Disclaimer: Always call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.
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