I get where you’re coming from, but after my kid had a dental abscess, I’m not sure I’d always go straight to the dentist first.
For us, the swelling got bad really fast—like, scary fast. Our dentist couldn’t fit us in same day, so we ended up at urgent care anyway. They gave antibiotics and told us to watch for signs it was spreading. Maybe with adults you can wait it out a bit, but with kids... I’m just not willing to risk it. Sometimes urgent care is just the fastest way to get things started, especially after hours.“Now, if I see swelling or can’t open my mouth, dentist gets the first call.”
That sounds really stressful. I had something similar with my son a couple years ago—woke up to his face all puffy and he was drooling, couldn’t really talk. Our dentist’s office was closed (of course, it was a weekend), so we went straight to urgent care too. They started antibiotics right away and told us to watch his breathing. Looking back, I’m glad we didn’t wait around for a dental appointment. With kids, things can turn serious way faster than you expect. I’d probably do the same if it happened again.
I get really anxious about costs and insurance, so I always hesitate before heading to urgent care or the ER for dental stuff. But last year, my daughter’s cheek swelled up out of nowhere on a Sunday. I called our dentist’s emergency line, but no answer. Ended up at urgent care anyway—just couldn’t risk it. They gave her antibiotics and said to follow up with the dentist ASAP. I still worry about the bill, but honestly, waiting would’ve stressed me out even more. Dental emergencies just never seem to happen during business hours...
You’re not kidding about dental drama always picking the worst timing. Why is it never a boring Tuesday at 10am? I’ve had to drag myself to urgent care once, too—face puffed up like a chipmunk. Did they at least give you a straight answer on the bill, or was it one of those “wait and see” surprises? I swear, sometimes the stress about insurance is almost worse than the toothache...
“I swear, sometimes the stress about insurance is almost worse than the toothache...”
Totally get this. I’ve had way more anxiety over the bill than the actual pain sometimes. Last time I had an emergency, my dentist’s office was closed for some random holiday, so I ended up at urgent care. They basically shrugged and handed me antibiotics and a giant question mark about what it would cost. Then, a week later, I got a bill in the mail that was way higher than what they’d hinted at. Super fun.
I always wonder if it’s actually worth going to the ER unless it’s really dire. Like, if you’re not running a fever or can’t swallow, I feel like urgent care just patches you up until your dentist is back. Has anyone here ever had luck getting a same-day dental appointment during a crisis? Or do you usually get told to wait it out?
