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Sometimes we think we’re dealing with a normal or non-dire toothache and go on about our day. Only for it to turn out to be a developing problem that doesn’t go away and in fact gets even more painful or gets unexpectedly exacerbated after eating. Dental emergencies never happen at a convenient time, naturally.
But, sometimes these urgent situations occur days before your dentist office is open or when you’re traveling to another state for work. This can be scary because you won’t want to wait until you can get scheduled by your normal dentist and the pain is agonizing, potentially increasing over time.
Fortunately, there are still options for you such as dentist offices open during weekend hours for circumstances just like yours. Keep reading to learn about weekend dentists, the signs and risks of dental emergencies, and more.
For patients that are looking for an emergency dentist with no insurance or extra cash/credit to pay for their dental emergency, EDS now offers multiple financing options to help cover unexpected dental expenses. Get an Instant approval (all credit levels accepted): click here to apply for a Dental Emergency Line Of Credit.
To schedule a same-day appointment, simply call 1-833-624-1382, enter your zip code, and our patient support team will help you find a dentist immediately.
Typically, no there aren’t many differences in the services a dentist open on Saturday provides. An emergency dentist open on Sunday or Saturday is simply a regular dentist who is available during business hours that aren’t standard for dental professionals to work during. Dentists in America will often choose to open up their own private dental practice, hiring a few trained employees and support staff to provide care to the local community.
Many dentist offices are technically small businesses, meaning they can’t always be open to their patients as they may want compared to a larger healthcare system that has more staff members and resources, allowing them to be available for many more hours. They may only serve clients a few days a week, trying their best to fit every patient asking to be seen within that regular schedule.
But, some dentists are able to extend their schedules or available hours to encompass Saturdays and/or Sundays to offer more accessibility for their clientele, including those coming in with clearly unscheduled dental emergencies. This flexible service is likely for patients to be seen more quickly and on shorter notice but may come with additional costs.
It’s normal to experience a minor toothache or random mouth soreness every once in a while. Most times the problem will resolve itself or fade away over time. If the issue remains, you may be able to hold on until your next scheduled dentist appointment. It’s important to remember, however, that dental pain shouldn’t occur frequently or continuously and facing such circumstances can likely be indicative of a more serious, primary problem.
Dental emergencies are urgent situations that can happen at any time and can’t wait until the next date your regular dentist office can fit you in, sometimes weeks in advance. These oral crises can bring unbearable pain, constant discomfort as well as leave you vulnerable to further harm including infection, tooth loss, and permanent nerve damage.
If your mouth pain (eg. aching, throbbing, inflammation) is especially severe, has increased steadily over time and/or gets worse or particularly noticeable when touched or exposed to air flow/hot and cold temperatures: these can be signs that you have a dental crisis that would benefit from the care of a dentist. You can try to reduce your symptoms with at-home remedies but if these signs persist, the predicament is likely beyond your abilities.
Additionally, significant or continuous jaw pain that may come with symptoms like swelling, difficulty swallowing, or a fever: it’s possible you’re dealing with an infection; this is dangerous since the infection has the potential to enter your bloodstream and impact the rest of your body.
Not every oral problem needs the immediate service of an emergency provider; minor cracks or surface imperfections on a tooth aren’t likely to be very painful or pose a health hazard and you can hold out until your next scheduled visit.
However, a tooth that is significantly fractured or chipped, or has completely fallen out, is more of a concern to your ability to carry out normal everyday functions and will likely require seeking emergency dental promptly. The following are some frequently occurring dental crises that a weekend dentist office can help you with:
Third molars, or wisdom teeth, are frequently impacted but it’s possible for this to happen to other teeth as well. These incorrectly embedded teeth can lead to issues including discomfort and overcrowding that causes neighboring teeth to move or twist out of line.
Weekend dentists provide similar procedures and perform the same tasks that a normal dental provider would but are generally more flexible when they see patients, allowing them to schedule you in during a time that works best for you, whether it’s urgent or more convenient.
Some dentists aren’t able to see you for several days or weeks, despite the severity of pain and how much they may want to help you. Enduring the pain while waiting for a distant appointment can cause you to struggle with eating and drinking as well as making simple tasks like talking or sleeping difficult to focus on.
There are limited at-home remedies available and they often only bring temporary relief. Not only is it inconvenient to try to put off getting more immediate dental attention, it’s also dangerous as you can leave yourself vulnerable to further injury, such as nerve damage or infection. you can additionally make your condition and symptoms worse, withouting meaning to.
It’s smarter to see a weekend dentist who can see you on shorter notice and may be able to tend to the dental problem enough in the meantime before you can be officially seen at a more in-depth checkup, if not resolve the issue within the same appointment. Emergency dental services can often buy you time and alleviate your pain and at-risk damaged areas while you wait for a properly prepared dentist visit for your needs.
At the start of your emergency weekend visit, a dentist will examine your mouth in order to get a better idea of what and where the impacted areas are; they may get X-rays of your mouth and jaw if nothing appears visibly wrong during the initial examination so they can obtain a sense of what’s going inside your gums or bone.
They will also likely ask you for details like the pain you’ve been experiencing, what may have caused your current problem, when you noticed the issue or symptoms began, your usual lifestyle and any recent changes. etc. Depending on their observations and considerations, the dentist will carefully consider and decide the best way to address your dental concerns at their discretion.
This may include providing you pain relief in the meantime until you can be scheduled for a more prepared appointment. In some scenarios, they can fix the fundamental issue or cause of discomfort within the one visit. The dentist will also make sure you’re seen during follow-up appointment and/or procedure and what to do in the meantime to keep any pain at bay or to reduce the chances of further harm.
Yes, this is true but there are still options that allow you to manage the additional expenses and not to hesitate in seeking the dental treatment and pain relief you likely need.
Generally, the extra costs associated with emergency dental services are from additional resources used in serving patients in urgent situations; having staff qualified to conduct X-rays or filling a tooth, for example, and using the supplies needed for certain treatments cost the dentist office in specialized labor, equipment and supply use.
Dentists will sometimes offer their clients receiving urgent care payment plans or discounts to reduce the overall cost of treatment. Emergency Dental Service offers similar payment plans to assist with getting you professional attention and treatment, that may also help you to get further reductions on your expenses; some dentists in our network offer discounts ranging between 20 and 60 percent for patients on an Emergency Dental Service payment plan.
It’s worth noting that dentists are also educated to recognize the warning signs and risk factors of a wide range of oral health conditions, being able to identify if your injury or pain is indicative of or puts you at risk of other dental issues. Examples include various gum diseases or oral cancer. They can also determine if what you’re dealing with is a known symptom of another element within your general health — like how some medications or pre-existing conditions may lead to a perpetually dry mouth.
It’s a wise decision to seek dental evaluation and treatment as soon as you can, even if you’re worried about the potential costs. This is usually a better overall approach to take instead of other methods such as waiting or going to the emergency room, where the available staff most likely won’t have the knowledge, training, or resources to properly address your problem while charging you excessively after waiting for a long period of time.
You can find a provider in your area, whether it’s close to home or during a trip to a place you’re not familiar with, by using our resources at Emergency Dental Service. An Emergency Dental Service team member can even take the process off your hands, finding you an emergency dentist nearby and scheduling you a same-day appointment.
If you’re worried about finding a dentist who can take care of your tooth emergencies over the weekend when many places are closed, look no further than Emergency Dental Service. We can connect patients with a dental provider in their area and schedule an appointment the very same day. We look forward to helping you during a stressful experience and getting you closer to a swift solution and relief. Reach out to us at 1-833-624-1382 today.