How to Get a Tooth Fixed on the Weekend

Sometimes the only thing to do is wait it out.

Whether you have an excruciatingly painful toothache, or one of your teeth cracked, or got knocked out, the weekend can prove a difficult time to find a dentist. While it's not impossible to obtain dental care on the weekend, you may have to travel to find a dentist who is available. Or you may find that you just have to wait until your dentist is back in her office on Monday.

Instructions

1. Try to call your dentist at his office. If an answering service answers, briefly describe your predicament and ask if there's a way to get into contact with the dentist. If the phone is answered with a recording, listen to it carefully to hear possible instructions for contacting your dentist after hours.

2. Visit a website for an emergency dentist locating service such as 1-800-Dentist or EmergencyDentalService.com. You may be able to find an emergency dental office that's open on weekends within driving distance.

3. Call your local emergency room and describe your dental emergency. Inquire if they have a dentist on call for emergencies. Be aware that hospitals who have dentists on-call usually reserve them for traumatic emergency dental situations -- not toothaches.

Tips & Warnings

• If you know your dentist well and feel comfortable calling him at home, try it. He may meet you at his office, even if it's on the weekend.

• If you have a child with a dental emergency, ask neighbors or friends with children, if they know of a emergency dentist.

References

• "What Nurses Know and Doctors Don't Have Time to Tell You"; Patricia Carroll; 2004
• "The Portable Pediatrician: Everything You Need to Know About Your Child's Health"; William Sears, et al. ; 2011
• "There is No Perfect Dentist: The Never Before Revealed Secrets to Choosing the Right Dentist for You!"; Neil Gerrard; 2011

Resources

• 1-800-Dentist: Dental Emergency
• Emergency Dental Service: Find an Emergency Dentist