4 Essential Things Your Emergency Dentist Needs

One moment, you’re going through life as usual, but the next, you have severe tooth pain! This isn’t the time to make a rash decision and choose just any dentist that pops up in your Google search. You need the right emergency dentist, but how can you tell you’ve found a good one? Here are four things you should look for.

Same-Day Appointments

Waiting can be challenging even under normal circumstances, but when you have a dental emergency, you want to fix the issue as soon as possible. You need to find a dentist who is willing to accommodate you in their schedule for emergencies on the same day as your phone call so that you can get relief and address the problem without delay.

Experience and Expertise

As with many industries, working with an expert in dental care makes a huge difference in the quality of care you receive. With an experienced dentist, you have a professional who knows what they are doing, because they’ve already done it hundreds, if not thousands, of times before! As a result, you can have confidence and peace of mind that your smile is in capable hands.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

After a sudden toothache or an injury, you can worry and fret about your smile. In other words, dental emergencies dial up your stress level. For many patients experiencing these anxiety-inducing situations, a gentle sedative like nitrous oxide is just what they need to calm down, sit back, and let the dentist do their work. If your dentist offers this service, you know that you don’t have to stress too much about your emergency, and you’ll leave feeling much better physically and emotionally.

Dental Insurance Acceptance

Regardless of whether your dentist is in-network or not, they need to accept and work with your dental insurance policy. Their team needs to be familiar with filing claims and be willing to take care of this step for you to make sure all the details are correct. With their expertise and help, you can maximize your plan and save money on treating your dental emergency.

In the end, you don’t have to wait until you have this urgent situation to find the right emergency dentist. In fact, doing a little bit of research now and visiting them on a regular basis—before a dental emergency comes up—can not only save you time and stress later but also give you the chance to get to know the dentist under less stressful conditions. With a solid relationship based on trust in place, you’ll know exactly where to turn in a dental emergency.

About the Author

Dr. James Gray has been practicing dentistry for more than 30 years in Arlington. Active in many professional organizations, he has served as president of the Arlington Dental Study Club in the past and continues to stay on top of cutting-edge developments in dentistry through ongoing advanced training. If you have a dental emergency, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Gray’s office online or call 817-460-4131 for an appointment.