Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Is an Hospital Emergency Department an Option During a Dental Emergency?

16 August 2016 by Lonnie Bryant

If you suffer a dental emergency during the holidays or at a weekend, you might consider visiting the emergency department of a hospital for treatment instead of booking an appointment with an emergency dentist. If you choose to do this, there are a few things you should consider before you visit the hospital. Below is a guide to 3 things you need to consider when attending a hospital for emergency dental treatment.

You may not be covered by your insurance

If you have insurance which covers dental care, it is likely the plan contains some coverage for emergency dental treatment. However, this doesn't necessary mean that the plan will cover a visit to the emergency department of a hospital. Before you visit the hospital, you should contact your insurance company and check the level of coverage you currently have. It may be the case that you are only covered if you attend an emergency dental clinic or out-of-hours dentist. Because hospital emergency departments do not fall under these categories, it possible you will be asked to pay for any treatment you receive there.

You are likely to only receive pain management and basic care

Because the medical staff in a hospital emergency department are not trained in dentistry, they will only be able to offer you pain management and the most basic care, such as applying a dressing  in order to prevent infection until you can be seen by a qualified dentist. A small number of hospital emergency departments may offer emergency tooth extractions in extreme cases. While this might seem like an added bonus which can fix a broken tooth, you should consider that once they have extracted the tooth, you will be left with a hole in your smile. You will have also potentially missed out on other treatment options which could have saved the tooth.

You will still need to see a dentist

Even if you receive pain relief, have a tooth extracted and a dressing applied, you will still need to visit a dentist at a later date. The treatment you receive in a hospital is designed to be a temporary stop gap, and a dentist will likely need to make adjustments. If the dentist needs to carry out further repairs, it could also mean that you have to undergo dental treatments twice. That is why it is always better to visit an emergency dentist during a dental emergency.

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