After Hours Emergency

All About After-Hours Emergency Services

Frequently asked questions about After-Hours Emergency Services

What constitutes an after-hours emergency?

Dental emergencies range from a crown that has come off to an infected painful tooth. Infections and pain should always be dealt with sooner rather than later while most of the time, a non-painful chipped tooth can wait until the business day. If in doubt give us a call.

What can be done after hours?

Because of the lack of a full team after hours, we are not able to do major complex treatments after hours. Instead, we focus on getting you out of pain or put back together esthetically. Recementing a crown, placing a temporary filling, draining an infection, prescribing antibiotics, triaging traumatic injuries and evaluating needs over the phone are all things that can be done after hours.

Do I need to come in or can it be handled over the phone?

Many times problems can be handled over the phone with advice and/or medications called into a pharmacy(although we can't prescribe pain medication over the phone anymore.)

Is there an extra charge for an after-hours visit?

Mostly yes. There is an extra charge for after-hours visits with some exceptions such as recementing a temporary crown on a patient that is currently in treatment with us.

Is there a charge for an after-hours phone call?

Generally no. There are rare exceptions such as a call that turns into a lengthy consultation or repeated calls that are the result of not following our advice.

Can you call in a prescription to my pharmacy?

The State of California does not allow us to phone in prescriptions for pain medications anymore but antibiotics and other medications can be.

How do I get ahold of the office after hours?

Click on the chat widget on the home page of our website. Leave a message and the doctors will be texted. Please be patient, but we will text you back soon. We do suggest you call the office first to make sure we aren't open for business (805-388-5700).