What do you do when you have a dental emergency?
Did you wake up with a toothache, or break a tooth? Do you have swelling in your mouth? No matter the dental emergency, the next question is “Now what?”
First things first, take a deep breath and call our office at 250-762-2223. If we are not open, our voicemail has instructions for who to call in the case of a dental emergency. Even if we are closed for holidays or a long weekend, we always have emergency coverage for our patients because you never know when a dental emergency will happen. Call us so we can help.
What will happen in the case of a dental emergency?
Well first, if we are open, our receptionists will schedule you an appointment with Dr. Moreau as soon as possible to assess the situation. She will diagnose your problem and help you come to a decision as to how to treat it. Depending on the dental emergency you are having, this could mean anything from a filling being needed to repair a cavity or broken tooth, a root canal to treat an infected tooth or an extraction to remove a non-salvageable tooth. There are many possible dental emergencies and the treatment options for each are unique to each situation. Depending on the severity of the emergency, sometimes a prescription or a referral to a specialist may be necessary. The most important step for us though is getting you out of pain and treating infection. So the sooner we are able to see you, the better.
If we are not open, please call our emergency number listed on our answering machine. Most likely, you will be calling Dr. Moreau at home. If not, it will be one of her trusted colleagues here in town covering for her while we are away. Either way, the dentist you reach will do their best to help you over the phone. Often, simply answering your questions and scheduling you an appointment for the next business day is all it takes. In the case of a more serious emergency, Dr. Moreau may meet you at the office for treatment as necessary. The best thing you can do when dealing with a dental emergency is phone us so we can help.
This child broke her tooth during a soccer tournament. Dr. Moreau was able to ensure there was no severe damage to the tooth from the x-ray and exam, and was even able to fix it with a filling at the same appointment!