As you know, the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to change at a rapid pace. It is recommended that dental practitioners limit treatment to non-urgent dental care, particularly limiting treatment which generates large quantities of aerosol.
Support to patients must be remembered and for some, the terminology ‘emergency’ and ‘urgent’ dental treatment may cause confusion. Some patients may feel they do not qualify for such treatment which can cause increased stress for patients and the healthcare system if they instead present to a GP or in very severe cases, require hospitalisation.
Below is a description of treatment procedures classified as an emergency or urgent.
A dental emergency is a situation that requires immediate treatment. This can include:
Both facial swelling and trauma have the potential to affect your airway. Immediate treatment should be sought for these conditions.
Urgent dental treatment involves providing care for conditions that cause significant pain, infection or directly affect your health and wellbeing. This can include:
It is important that you do not attend for treatment if you have been in contact with someone diagnosed with COIVD-19 or are experiencing symptoms including cough, fever, sore throat or difficulty in breathing. We ask you to please attend for treatment alone or bring along minimal additional persons.
Please be assured if you are attending for treatment, that under the guidance of the Australian Dental Association, Smile Place Dental has implemented further infection control measures to keep you and us safe.
Although the treatments we can provide to you have been restricted for the time being, please know we are here to continue helping you care for your oral health. If you have a dental issue not listed above but are experiencing pain or it is affecting your wellbeing, please contact the practice and we will provide help where possible. Please call
Tecoma-97542148, Forest Hill-98773724 or Glen Iris-90481026 to contact the Smile Place Dental team, if we do not answer, please leave a message and a member of the team will return your call as soon as possible.
Author Summary – Dr Chitra Rao
Dr. Chitra Rao has over a decade of experience in dentistry, specifically in the field of cosmetic and orthodontic treatments. Dedicated to achieving optimal results, she takes a detailed and personalised approach to creating beautiful, confident smiles for her patients. Outside of dentistry, Dr. Chitra enjoys staying active, traveling, and spending time with her family.
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