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    Parramatta Clinic

    Parramatta Dental Clinic

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    Parramatta, NSW, 2150

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    Maroubra Dental Clinic

    Office 1, 822 Anzac Parade
    Maroubra, NSW, 2035

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Dentist Journal

Managing a Dental Emergency While Traveling Abroad

You’re on vacation at one your favourite destinations, relaxing on the beach without a care in the world. You grab the olive bowl, and while thinking how lucky you are to be living such a blessed life of eating olives on the beach you put one in your mouth and bite down. Before you know it you’re clutching your mouth and screaming obscenities. There was a pit in the olive and it’s snapped your tooth clean off. Normally you would jump straight in the car and go to the dentist. When you’re overseas, things like dental emergencies tend to be a bit more complicated.

In this post, we give you tips on how to handle a dental emergency when you’re overseas.

A dental emergency isn’t usually life-threatening so there is no point running around like a mad person trying to find the nearest dentist.

Find an International Clinic

Jump on your smartphone and do some research to find an international dental clinic or at least a dental clinic that has an English speaking dentist. Read reviews thoroughly and find the one best suited to foreigners.

Every destination has a Facebook expats page. It pays to join when first arriving at your holiday location. Ask them about a dentist on the page and people will generally respond within a few minutes.

If you are in Europe finding a credible dentist shouldn’t be that hard as they have dental standards similar to Australia. If you’re in Asia, you will have to do a bit of research until you find a decent dentist.

Call Your Insurance Company

Call your insurance company as soon as possible. They might be able to recommend certain dentists in your area. Calling them immediately will inform them that you have a dental issue and this will get the ball rolling for them to pay for the dental treatment so you’re not left out of pocket for an extended period of time. Do be aware that not all policies cover dental, so check before you go.

Also, certain insurance companies use a specific dentist for their coverage. If you use a dentist that is not one of theirs you may be left paying the bill yourself.

You could also ring the Australian Embassy and they may be able to direct you to a reputable dentist in that area.

Precautions to Take

Try to keep the mouth clean by rinsing it with bottled water. Try and avoid tap water as water quality overseas may differ to what you’re used to here in Australia and may cause more harm than good. Rinse your mouth with mouthwash if you have some handy.

Dental emergencies are a pain in the tooth. But they are not hard to deal with. In this modern world, there is usually a decent dentist in most countries. If you are in a remote location, you may have to travel to the nearest city to get a treatment done.

The key is to be prepared. Do some prior planning before you go somewhere and make sure there are facilities such as hospitals and dentists because you never know when a problem could arise.

Always consider taking out travel insurance just in case. Hopefully you won’t need it and if you ever do you’ll thank yourself for it.

If you need to see a dentist in Parramatta, come and see us at Dental Avenue Parramatta and we will give you a check up and give you some tips for travelling. And if you’ve had a procedure while away, come in to check with us on the progress of the work you received and that it’s up to our high standards. Call us on 800 400 55 and speak to our friendly team today!

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