Troublesome Toothache
7to7 Dental Handles Emergencies for Patients and
Friends Alike
By Amy Morgan
It happens when you least expect it – throbbing pain in the mouth, especially when chewing. Even a sip of hot coffee or cold iced tea can set off a sharp twinge. While a dental emergency can interrupt the course of anyone’s day, it’s even worse when it’s your friend or family member visiting from out of town. Where do you turn for help?
That situation occurred this spring for a couple whose mother was in San Antonio escaping the Minnesota snow. 83-year-old Geri woke up feeling awful – not only was she experiencing a severe toothache in a lower molar, her gums were red, and even her check was beginning to swell. The situation could not wait.
Her family members are patients of 7to7 Dental & Orthodontics and called their office immediately. The professional staff worked Geri in that very day. There was no quibbling about insurance or delay authorizing pre-certification.
A hallmark of 7to7 Dental is accessibility. Because offices are open seven days a week, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, highly trained professionals are always available for same-day appointments or to treat walk-in and emergency patients.
Geri and her daughter-in-law waited just a few minutes before she was taken back for X-Rays that would help diagnose her tooth infection.
7to7 Dental offices are fitted with state-of-the-art, intra-oral digital cameras that magnify 50x, so dentists can show a patient the condition of their mouth in real time. X-Rays are digital, significantly lowering radiation exposure and requiring no chemicals to develop— better for the patient and the environment.
Geri appreciated that the pictures were taken right from her exam chair, so she didn’t have to walk down long hallways or repeatedly rise and sit.
“The convenience of the in-house X-Rays really impressed me,” she said.
The highly magnified images helped Rebeca Garcia, D.D.S., quickly diagnose Geri’s abscessed tooth and explain her treatment options. First priority was to start antibiotics to fight the infection and prevent any further risk to her health. Dr. Garcia also suggested Geri alternate taking Ibuprofen and Tylenol to reduce pain. Due to Geri’s age and medical history, and the fact that she would be able to return to care in Minnesota in just over a week, Dr. Garcia recommended Geri take the next steps back home, so she’d be able to have appropriate follow up.
In the meantime, the antibiotics would do their job to clear up the infection. Courteous staff helped Geri fill out the forms so 7to7 Dental could call in the medication and forward the records to her dentist in Minnesota, saving time and avoiding the need for redundant X-Rays.
“They were phenomenal!” Geri said. “They worked me in without a long wait. That means a lot. They were very kind and patient and pleasant. You could feel they cared about me and wanted to make me feel comfortable. I also was very impressed with the up-to-date dental equipment.”
In addition to toothache, 7to7 Dental receives emergency calls about chipped teeth or crowns or fillings breaking. When the unexpected strikes, don’t go to urgent care, the professionals at 7to7 Dental caution. Medical facilities are not set up with equipment, nor staffed with a dentist, to handle a dental emergency.
7to7 Dental welcomes emergency walk-ins – even for patients who have never been seen in their office before. Treatment is affordable. A small fee for the exam and images will help a patient get out of pain and start a plan to resolve the problem.
And with 7to7 Dental’s 10 locations across the San Antonio area (including an office right in the heart of Stone Oak), help is never far when you need it.
