While we all do our best to maintain good oral health, still if you require emergency dental care, you should seek it immediately rather than waiting until you return home. If immediate treatment is required for any reason, you do need to source emergency dental services, and with that in mind, here are a few tips.
- Dental Clinics– There might be dental clinics open at all hours, depending, of course, on where in the world you are, and some clinics keep appointment slots open for emergencies. In the event you are in a remote location, do what you can and take some painkillers if necessary, while making your way to somewhere that does have medical services.
- Medical Insurance– While the chances of you needing emergency treatment while holidaying are remote, it can happen and the last thing you should be worried about is how to pay a dentist. A good policy would cover you for any medical emergency, and if such a thing should arise, you can ask the hotel receptionist to call for an ambulance. As an example, finding an emergency dentist in Chatswood might be simple enough, but in a country such as Thailand or Vietnam, you will face language issues. Prior to travelling, you should take out adequate cover for you and your family, which should include emergency medical expenses and loss of personal property.
- Language Problems – In a third world country, there might be language issues, yet Google translate can help and once the person understands you have a dental emergency, they can offer you advice. If you have a phrase book, there would be something about such a situation and do make sure the dentist you see is actually a dentist!
- Hospitals – If you need emergency dental treatment in the middle of the night, you will likely need to go to a hospital, as dentists do not open outside of regular hours. Some remote hospitals would require some form of payment before treatment, so take some cash with you. Again, if there are language issues, then you will just have to make the best of the resources at your disposal, and once you receive treatment, you can relax a little, knowing you are getting the required treatment.
- Keeping All Receipts– It is important to have evidence of all expenses related to the emergency, along with any doctor or hospital reports, as these will enable you to claim these expenses when you return home. That would include any travel or accommodation costs, which can be claimed with most policies.
We should all take extra care when abroad, as we are in a strange environment and that means accidents can easily occur. If you have good medical insurance, then you won’t have to worry about cost and hopefully, the problem can be treated by a local dentist. If you are taking any medication, it is important to make the health professional aware of that, as it might react with the medication administered.