With all things being equal, hopefully no one has to make an appointment with an emergency dentist.
These operators are on call for those unscheduled visitations where broken teeth, misalignment, wisdom teeth complications, scarring and damage is identified.
Such is the level of pain and discomfort experienced by members, there needs to be a solution found in quick time and this is where these specialists enter into the equation.
For all of their expertise and guidance through these difficult times, there can be some misconceptions about the nature of their role, defining where an emergency operator begins and where a general practice ends.
This is where it is important to outline some key facts about their service, informing local citizens in the city who might require their aid.
Facts that clients should know about their emergency dentist
The emergency status is unique
It is essential that community members recognise that an emergency dentist is to be used for that exact purpose. There are some participants who approach these outlets believing that they can schedule routine checkups in due course, overlooking how critical some of these cases can be.
From bleeding and extensive swelling to extensive pain and discomfort that has resulted from an injury, an illness or a complication from an oral treatment, they are the party to contact when something does go array. It is not a one-stop-shop for round-the-clock care.
Opening hours are extensive & by request
While some appointment windows are scheduled following some complications from oral healthcare surgeries and treatments, many visitations with an emergency dentist will be made via request just an hour or two prior to the service.
This is a call that could be made in the middle of the night, during a weekend or a public holiday, seeing the professional have to leave their premises and arrive at the practice in quick time. Understanding this dynamic is important for those who see this operation as more convenient for them than the specialist as they are on call 24/7.
Given the fact that specialists are on call to operate as an emergency dentist at all times of the morning, evening, weekends and public holidays, there are higher payment premiums included in the service.
This has to be considered for those who are living on tight budgets and are weighing up the intervention of an emergency operator over a general practitioner who needs a number of business days or weeks before an appointment can be scheduled.
Once this has been realised by members, they know precisely what they are getting from an emergency dentist.
Private insurance measures will vary
The types of rebates and returns that clients can receive with an emergency dentist will differ from one outlet to the next. Depending on who they partner with in a public and private context, there will be unique approaches to the topic of private health insurance coverage.
The best approach is to assess these locations ahead of time and see if they do have policies in place that are easy to assess. If that information is withheld, it is beneficial to simply ask the question before arriving.
Follow up appointments often scheduled
A number of clients who drop in to see an emergency dentist will do so as a last minute venture, hoping that they can alleviate the pain and discomfort before implementing a treatment that is sustainable for the intervening hours, days, weeks and months.
With this being said, they will have opportunities to book a follow up appointment to see just how effective the solution has been and whether or not they require further oral healthcare services to address the concern.