How should a dental emergency be handled during a global pandemic like COVID-19? Our dentists provide guidance.
Do you have a dental emergency during COVID-19?
Though so much of our daily lives have been turned upside down, at least one thing remains constant for dentists and their patients: dental emergencies.
But how do you handle a dental emergency safely during these times, while respecting social distancing guidelines? Today, we’ll share a few tips.
Define your emergency
The first thing to do is to determine whether you have an urgent dental emergency that needs a dentist’s immediate attention. If you’re experiencing any of the following, call us right away:
- Chipped, broken or knocked-out tooth
- Toothache that you cannot remedy yourself with over-the-counter pain medication
- Severe swelling on your face, neck or mouth
- Ulcers in your mouth
- Lost crowns or fillings
- Sore or bleeding gums
- Sensitive teeth
- Teething
New Rules & Regulations Under COVID-19
You'll notice that our office looks different during a dental emergency than it does under normal circumstances and that protocols and extra precautions are in place to keep our staff and patients safe.
If you have a dental emergency, you can rest assured that we are equipped to manage it safely.
How should I handle a dental emergency during a global pandemic such as COVID-19?
By now, we’re all familiar with social distancing and pandemic safety rules, but how does that translate to the dentist’s office? Here are a few actions you can take:
Contact us early. If you have a dental emergency, don't hesitate to contact us. We can give you advice over the phone and schedule an appointment for you as soon as possible. If you save this page or search for "dentist near me" in your favourite search engine, our information will most likely appear.
Apply ice. Hold an ice pack or cold compress to the affected area.
Locate the lost tooth. If you’ve lost a tooth, try to locate it and rinse it with water. Hold the tooth in the socket it fell out of, or place it in a container of milk. Your dentist may be able to attach it.
Wear a face mask and use hand sanitizer. Wearing a face mask and using 70 to 90 percent alcohol-based hand sanitizer upon entering or leaving the building are two precautions to take.
Respect social distancing guidelines. We will get you an appointment as soon as possible. If you do need to wait in the waiting room, you’ll find chairs spaced 2 metres apart. All surfaces will be disinfected.
Dentists will wear protective gear. In addition to surgical face masks, your dentist and their staff will wear personal protective equipment during in-person appointments.