A general dentist and an emergency dentist are trained to help people who need oral care, whether for an emergency or just regular checkups. But every doctor is a bit different.
If you don’t know which dentist to go to when you need oral care, understanding how these two professionals differ can help. In this blog, we explain the difference between emergency and general dentists.
What is an emergency dentist?
An emergency dentist treats oral health problems that need rapid treatment immediately. In most cases, you need to see a doctor immediately to ease the pain, stop further damage, or deal with a condition that could be life-threatening.
You need emergency dental care, including emergency dental treatment, when you have an unexpectedly bad toothache that can’t wait for your usual visit. It could include severe toothaches, knocked-out teeth from accidents or trauma, sores or infections that cause a lot of pain and swelling, broken teeth that reveal nerves, mouth bleeding that you can’t stop, and other serious oral health issues
In a situation like the ones above, it’s important not to wait to get help from a professional. The best thing about emergency dental care is that getting help right away can greatly improve your chances of saving a tooth or avoiding problems. Emergency dentists know how to handle these pressing cases quickly and effectively, and they can help right away by doing things like extractions, root canal therapy, stitching cuts if necessary, or giving medicines for infections.
Remember that what counts as an emergency in dentistry depends on several factors. So, it’s crucial to talk to a dentist who can correctly evaluate your case and help you get the right care. Ignoring signs could cause bigger problems down the road!
What is a regular dentist?
Regular dentists are an important part of keeping teeth healthy. During these checkups, a doctor or dental assistant will perform a full checkup and cleaning.
When you visit the dentist regularly, you can also talk to them about any worries or questions about your mouth health. They can show you how to brush and floss your teeth and suggest any necessary treatments or preventative steps.
If you visit the dentist every six months (or as often as your dentist tells you to), you can catch problems early and fix them before they worsen. Taking this proactive step now could keep you from having to deal with pain or longer treatments in the future.
Don’t wait to make those regular visits; taking care of your teeth now will help you in the long run!
What’s the difference between general dentists and emergency dentists?
So, what’s the main difference between an emergency dentist and a normal dentist? In short, these are the main differences:
Education and Experience
One thing that sets emergency dentists apart is that they have been trained to deal with dental emergencies. Their experience will help them spot problems faster, so they can move faster than your normal dentist to provide the best answer. They also often have access to more modern methods and tools that you might not be able to find at a normal dentist’s office. This means that complicated treatments can be done faster and with more care.
Out-of-hours Appointments
Depending on your location, you can see an emergency dentist 24 hours a day. Even if you have a dental problem in the middle of the night, you can get good care. As opposed to specialists, general dentists usually work from 9 to 5, and you’ll need to make an appointment ahead of time if you want to see them.
No appointment necessary
As we already said, you’ll need to make an appointment ahead of time if you want to see your general dentist for something other than your regular check-up every six months. Sometimes, you must wait for a long period for a dentist visit; sometimes, you might have to wait weeks. That’s when an emergency dentist comes in handy. There won’t be a lot of meetings on the calendar for most emergency dentists because they will only or mostly see emergency patients. You should be able to see an emergency dentist the same day, but it depends on how busy they are.
Get the help you need right away.
Emergency and general dentists are alike but deal with different issues. Emergency dentists are trained to handle accidents immediately, while regular dentists do more routine treatments. Some general dentist offices can handle crises, but not all can. On the other hand, emergency dentists can fix general oral problems, but that’s different from what they do all the time.
We at Cass Dental Care can assist you whether you need an emergency dentist or general oral care. Our team can help you to solve your oral health problems. Contact us today!
