Be Prepared — Take Your Dental Information With You on Your Vacation
Summer is fast approaching, and, if you are like me, it’s the time when you travel or take vacations. Even if you have recently received a perfect checkup from us, unforeseen dental problems can occur. Unfortunately, these problems can completely disrupt your carefully organized plans. I can’t be there with you, but I want to share a few tips to help you deal with unforeseen dental emergencies while you are on the road.
Vacation Emergency Tips
Preparing yourself with important information before a problem occurs can save you headaches, maybe toothaches, and certainly valuable time. Here is a checklist of information to include in your “dental emergency kit.”
- Our name and telephone number
- Your dental insurance policy name and identification numbers
- Dental insurance coverage details for outside your home area
- List of your medication allergies
- List of your medical conditions
- List of current medications, including generic name
- List of potential dental and medical professionals in your destination
- A handkerchief, gauze, a small container with a lid, and ibuprofen
If you are travelling within the U.S., these resources may help:
- MouthHealthy.org — Enter the street address and ZIP code for your travel location to view a list of ADA member dentists in that area.
- ZocDoc.com — Enter your symptom, what you need and where, and your insurance carrier (if any). A list of dentists in that area, complete with photo and review, will appear, showing that dentist’s next available appointment date.
I know that gathering the information you may need in a dental emergency takes a bit of research and preparation, but it is well worth it! No one wants to scramble for the information when under stress during an emergency situation. Be sure to take some time to put your dental emergency kit together before your next trip.
The saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. If you haven’t had a recent checkup, before you travel is the perfect time to have it done. I can find and take care of existing problems before you leave, which could prevent a potential emergency from happening and ruining your vacation. Call my office to set up an appointment now!
Best,
Dr. Fara Afshar
