Accepting Emergencies during COVID-19: Calgary SE Emergency Dentist Explains What You Need to Know

We’d like to start by checking up on you. How are you adjusting? We understand it’s hard not to be able to hike in the mountains or go camping this time of the year, but you are doing your part in flattening the curve by staying home and keeping with social distancing measures.

At this time, dentists in Alberta are only allowed to see emergency cases. This restriction was put in place by the provincial public health officials and the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADAC) to ensure your safety as well as ours. 

We understand that this restriction is hard for some of you. Coming in for regular cleanings or when you have a toothache at our Calgary SE dental clinic is such a natural thing to do. 

We hope this guide can answer most of your questions about which dental emergencies we’re able to see during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dental Emergencies During COVID-19

Dental emergencies include oral-facial trauma, significant infection, prolonged bleeding, pain which cannot be managed by over the counter medications, or management of known/high-risk malignancy (oral cancer).

• Oral-Facial Trauma includes a broken jaw or cheekbones, cuts in the mouth and face or other injuries from an accident. We made this guide to help you address dental emergencies as soon as they happen.
• Prolonged Bleeding for longer than 20 minutes with constant pressure which can happen after a tooth was removed, trauma or cuts in the gum.

• Painful toothaches that cannot be managed by over the counter pain relievers. If your pain persists after taking medication, please connect with us via email or phone. We’ll do what we can to help you within the provisions set by ADAC.

• Oral cancer is always a priority. If you suspect your symptoms point to oral cancer or you have been diagnosed and you need to see us to manage your condition, we can help. Oral cancer’s survival rates depend on the timing of treatment. The earlier the better. 

How Dental Emergencies are Handled at Outdoor Dental

1. Dr. Patel will connect with you over the phone or email.
2. He will then assess your symptoms, problems and photos you’ve emailed.
3. You will be advised on your current problem and be given resolution options and timing. For pain over the counter pain medication (Ibuprofen and/or Tylenol), following the manufacturers’ maximum doses. Both can be taken concurrently but Dr. Patel suggests staggering every 3 hours if both are needed. Antibiotics may be prescribed for infections if required
4. If the measures listed in #3 are of no help, Dr. Patel will discuss further steps and options for in-office treatment. We suggest patients stay in touch via email to keep us updated on any changes.
5. In the office, the use of drills will be avoided unless absolutely necessary to resolve pain or infections. This includes root canal treatment and cavities. Extractions are an option if required.

This protocol abides closely with the ADAC’s treatment guide to emergencies during COVID-19. To ensure your comfort and your safety, we will do what we can to ease your pain right away. 

Leaving a healthy footprint on your smile

Extra measures we’re taking during COVID-19

Our sanitation measures have always been designed to keep you and your family safe. During this time we are taking extra steps including:

1. Only 1 patient in the office at a time is allowed and will be asked to sign additional Covid-19 consents and symptom testing.
2. Only 1 patient per dental room per day. 
3. We thoroughly wipe all touched surfaces after each patient including counters, door handles etc. in addition to our routine sanitation measures.
4. All our team members are required to routinely wash our hands and ensure we’re well-stocked with hand sanitizers.
5. We rotate our staff and make sure we are abiding by all social distancing measures and hygiene while at home and if we are required to go to public spaces (ex. groceries). We also monitor ourselves for symptoms.
6. All of our team members are required to wear masks at all times.

How to reach us

At Outdoor Dental, we’re all about leaving a healthy footprint on your smile and our community. We aim to respond to you swiftly and with accurate information. 

Here’s the best way to reach us so we can serve you better.

1. Email us at [email protected] or fill our contact form.
2. Call us at 587-393-3704

Email is preferred because you can send us a picture of your issue. Close-ups will help us identify if your concern is an urgent emergency.

Outdoor Dental is here for you and your family – more than ever

We hope this summary of how we’re handling dental emergencies during COVID-19 has answered some questions you may. We hope you and you’re family continue to stay safe at home. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! 

Leaving a health footprint on your smile