Holiday Dental Emergencies: An Ounce of Prevention

Ok, so in reality, no one can actually plan for a toothache. It generally presents as a surprise; completely unplanned,  robbing us of a wonderful holiday experience or a weekend trip or even a couple of nights of good sleep.  The best thing is always prevention but in some cases, things happen and you find yourself in need of a dentist, pronto!  And worse,  it's 6PM on Christmas Eve.  I'm not going to lie, if that is the case then you are in a bit of a spot. Your option at that point is probably the ER.   But a little bit of advance planning can save you a lot of pain, both physical and financial.  Here are some of my best ideas for preventing those holiday dental emergencies.

• Plan a cleaning and exam sometime in late November or December.  Chances are an exam will reveal any potential problems and you can ward them off with early treatment. 
• Check with your dentist's office (just a quick phone call) and find out what their holiday hours will be.  You never know if you or a family member will have a dental emergency. 
• Always call your dentist's office at the first sign of a problem.  Even if they are closed, they may be on call or have an answering service and if nothing else, he/she can get you an antibiotic if necessary.  If the dentist is unavailable, however, the ER may still be your only option.
• If you have a problem tooth and it's been nagging you for weeks but you just haven't had the time to go to the dentist....now is the time. Don't put it off.  Generally, the way they see it at the dentist's office is that "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part".  Not cool, but seriously, you should get it fixed ASAP!  

It happens.  Life, that is. Inasmuch as no one can plan for a toothache caused by the occasional loss of a filling or crown or a cracked tooth, prevention can go a long way toward not having your holiday ruined by tooth pain.  Take the extra time this season and get that exam you've been putting off!  You'll likely be glad you did.  

Keep smiling!