Dentists are offering more procedures and technology than ever and having the convenience of emergency dental services makes keeping your mouth healthy easier. However, the new way of doing things includes some etiquette that patients should understand when they use emergency services, or book or cancel an appointment.
Many dental offices like ours are offering 24/7 emergency dental services. This usually doesn’t mean the office is open all the time, although some could be. It also doesn’t mean you can just walk into a dental office for a procedure any time of the day or night.
Emergency dental services typically include an emergency number you should call. There is a dentist on call where the number is forwarded and the dentist can meet you at the office.
What Constitutes an Emergency Visit?
A dental emergency refers to specific types of issues you or a family member could experience. It doesn’t include getting routine procedures and you shouldn’t call the emergency number just because normal office hours aren’t convenient for you.
Dental emergencies include a mouth injury, which could happen in an accident or playing sports among other activities. It includes a swollen area and pain from an infection, a broken tooth that is causing severe pain, or another sudden oral problem that is causing excessive pain or bleeding.
Be prepared to show your insurance card and pay a co-payment or make arrangements when you use emergency dental services. Every office handles these situations differently because office staff typically isn’t there or is limited. It is a good idea to find out what to expect before you need an emergency dentist. You can ask about the procedures and payment when you visit the dentist for an exam or your first consult.
Booking Appointments
Many dental offices like for patients to book their regular exams out for the year. You should see your dentist twice a year for an exam with X-rays taken once a year so it’s simple to go ahead and book.
Be sure to mark your appointment down from the reminder card they give you so you can take some time off to make the appointment. Many dental offices now have automatic reminders when your appointment day gets closer so ask if that is possible.
Offices also are increasingly allowing you to do a pre-registration check-in online rather than doing all the paperwork at the office. This is a good way to help out the dental staff because it is an easy and convenient way to handle registration. Some of this technology may require you to open a free account so be sure to ask the staff if they have instructions on how to do that when they tell you about pre-registering.
Those who choose to fill out paperwork at the office on the day of their appointment should arrive at least 20 minutes early to allow time for that. Those who don’t have paperwork to fill out should arrive 10 minutes before their appointment time to keep to the dentist’s schedule.
Dental staff usually try to accommodate those running late for an appointment but your appointment can’t be guaranteed if you are late. Call the office as much in advance as you can if you find that traffic or some other issue is causing you to be late. Typically, they can accommodate you if you are 15 minutes beyond your appointment time.
Failing to call and inform the staff you are running late could mean you will lose your appointment. It could also mean you or your insurance company could still be charged for the missed appointment.
Cancelling and Rescheduling Appointments
Dental staff like ours are happy to reschedule or cancel appointments if you find you can’t make it to your appointment time. However, you need to call to make those changes 24 to 48 hours in advance. This allows for the office to readjust the patients’ schedules and accept another patient.
Each office has its own rules that you agree to in writing on your first visit. One of the rules is that you will call ahead with enough significant time to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Some offices state that failing to call in that time frame or failing to show up without notifying the office will result in an office fee. Other offices have strict penalties for those who routinely fail to show up for appointments, including dismissing you are a patient.
Dental patients need to take the time to read the agreements they are asked to sign on their initial visit. The paperwork identifies the dental office’s requirements and penalties for canceling and rescheduling appointments. If it doesn’t, you should ask so you know what the staff expects.
Preparing for an Appointment
Those who have dental appointments can do a few things to make the appointment go smoother. Be sure to brush your teeth and floss daily a week or two before the appointment. You should be doing that anyway. Brush and floss before going to the dentist.
It’s helpful to use an antibacterial mouth rinse too just to make sure your mouth and breath are fresh for the exam.
Allow enough time in your schedule for both the exam, X-rays, and consultation. This will help you relax and will give the staff, hygienist, and dentist enough time to get to know you, and your dental needs, and provide personal service.
Pushing time and creating a scheduling crunch will only make you anxious. That can affect the whole exam and can put everyone on edge. We want your dental appointment to be a pleasant experience and that starts with having plenty of time for it.
You probably want to allow for at least two hours in your schedule for a standard appointment. Ask the staff how much time specific procedures will take and then add 50 percent more time to make sure it’s enough to accommodate the schedule.
Other Things to Know
Dental staff are under stricter government and insurance mandates than ever before. Many aren’t allowed to fully examine or clean the teeth of those with other health conditions without clearance from their primary care physician.
People with chronic health issues like diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, or heart problems are susceptible to risk during a dental procedure. To lower the risk, some dental offices require they be cleared by their family doctor or specialist before undergoing a dental procedure.
It’s a good idea to ask about these types of guidelines when you make your first appointment. That way you can have all the paperwork with you for your dental appointment so your or the dentist’s time isn’t wasted.
Our dental office does all it can to make appointments and emergency services convenient for our patients. We are happy to explain our guidelines to you so you understand how to make, cancel, or reschedule. We are here for emergencies too and will provide you with information on how to access dental help when you need it most. Contact us today to make your first appointment for an exam, X-rays, and a consult.