Monroe Street Family Dental has notified all of our patients that, in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we will follow the American Dental Association (ADA) recommendation that dentists nationwide postpone all elective procedures for at least three weeks. This includes all preventative care such as routine hygiene visits, any aesthetic procedures, and any restorative work that can be postponed without a threat to the health of the patient. As of March 18th, our office has transitioned to providing only urgent or emergency dental care until Monday April 13th. If you have an urgent dental care need, we want to reassure you that we are still here, and can help you promptly and safely.
About 1 in 5 patients, according to American Family Physician, needed urgent dental care in the last 6 months. But exactly what qualifies as “urgent” dental care?
What is Emergency Dental Care?
These signs or symptoms would warrant a call to your dentist:
- Pain - either persistently, or when biting. Pain can be chronic, or sharp.
- Signs of infection or abscess - such a pimple-like bump on the gums near a problematic tooth, bleeding, a strange sensation with biting on that tooth, a persistent toothache, swollen lymph nodes or a swollen jaw, or new sensitivity to hot or cold
- Persistent bleeding
- A broken or chipped tooth accompanied by pain or discomfort
- Any lost tooth
- Any newly loose (adult) tooth
- Trauma to the face or head, especially accompanied by swelling or pain that restricts the airway
You may not have considered that these other signs and symptoms also warrant a call to your dentist:
- Any sore in your mouth that isn’t healing
- Persistent headaches, especially those that are worse in the morning and/or accompanied by muscle pain or tension
- A tooth that has gone numb and is at risk of abscess
- A lost filling accompanied by pain, or a metallic taste in your mouth
- Anything causing soft tissue trauma, such as broken orthodonture, or a fractured tooth
- Conditions that might negatively impact the health of the patient in the next 3-6 months
Other emergency dental care may include: extensive caries or defective fillings/crowns causing pain, suture removal, denture adjustments or repairs when function is impaired, and replacing temporary filling on root canal teeth when patients are experiencing pain. We will also be completing care for patients requiring crowns or other procedures that could compromise function if left incomplete.
For more guidance on what might warrant a visit to your dentist during this time of conservative treatment to restrict the transmission of COVID-19, see the official ADA guidelines here.
Not Sure? Ask Us. We are Here for You.
Please call to speak with someone in our office on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 am - 1 pm. If you have questions outside of those hours, please call us at (608) 204-0222 and follow the voice prompts. This way you can alert Dr. Farrow immediately outside of these hours. Leave us a message, or send us an email at info@monroestreetfamilydental.com. We will answer your questions within hours.
Should you need a consultation or treatment, we are prepared to do so safely. Rest assured that our “universal precautions” are in compliance with the highest standards of OSHA and the CDC. Additionally we have implemented current measures recommended by the CDC for patient screening and disinfection of common areas. The services provided are consistent with what you have come to expect at our office, and we will continue to provide for you in the highest standard that is attainable in modern dentistry.
Our patients, co-workers, and friends at Monroe Street Family Dental are constantly on our minds. We look forward to a time when we can resume providing excellent preventive, restorative, and aesthetic care as well. Treating our patients in their full measure of health is our long-term purpose - but we are here in whatever capacity is best for the community right now.
Please be safe and well - and let’s stay connected. We remain, as ever, grateful for each of you.
Most Sincerely,
Dr. Benjamin Farrow and the Team at MSFD
Sources:
https://www.absolutedental.com/blog/what-is-considered-dental-emergency/
https://www.brightnow.com/about-us/post/signs-you-need-emergency-dental-care