ADA Issues Guidance on Dental Emergencies

The ADA has issued the following guidance to help dentists around the country define urgent or emergency care:

Dental emergencies “are potentially life threatening and require immediate treatment to stop ongoing tissue bleeding [or to] alleviate severe pain or infection,” according to the ADA.

As part of the emergency guidance, the ADA also added urgent dental care which “focuses on the management of conditions that require immediate attention to relieve severe pain and/or risk of infection and to alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments.”

The ADA notes “the guidance may change as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses,” according to the ADA. “Dentists should use their professional judgment in determining a patient’s need for urgent or emergency care.”

Click the link below to view the full ADA document. Members can access this document any time by visiting ksdental.org and clicking the link on the homepage banner.