Feeling a sharp pain in your mouth and suddenly noticing that something is very obviously wrong can be an extremely scary experience. Modern technology has made handling dental emergencies an easier and more efficient process than ever before, but it has not decreased the dental anxiety that many people suffer from. Asking the right questions can handle those fears and make you more confident during emergency situations.

Below, are some questions you should be sure to ask your dentist during an emergency visit. Focusing on this information will help you have a productive visit and can also help guarantee that you don't find yourself frustrated later by a lack of timely information.

Ask about Future Care

Most dental emergencies involve a fair amount of pain and trauma, so many patients only care about what's happening in the immediate future. However, serious dental issues may require ongoing treatment, and your ability and willingness to receive that treatment may alter your dentist's decisions.

Before committing to an emergency procedure, if it's at all possible, you should talk to your doctor about the way your future dental health will be affected. This will guarantee that you can avoid unpleasant surprises in the future and can decrease the stress and resentment that may come with poor communication.

Ask about Medication Interactions

As mentioned above, dental emergencies can be very painful. Modern pain relief techniques are correspondingly powerful and can remove a great deal of that pain, but many of those drugs interact poorly with medications that patients may be taking. Without stopping to have a full disclosure with your dentist, you may find yourself dealing with difficult side effects.

You should also mention to your dentist any other substances that you've ingested which may interact with pain medication. Though it can be embarrassing or frightening to admit substance abuse to a doctor, rest assured that he or she is merely interested in providing you care and not complicating your legal situation.

Ask about Recovery Time

One of the most important things to focus on during a dental emergency is getting back up on your feet and in your best shape as quickly as possible. Asking your dentist, one like Peak Family Dentistry & Orthodontics, about common recovery times will give you goals to shoot for during your rehabilitation, and the resulting positivity can be a motivating factor for your healing. This will allow you to avoid wallowing and feeling sorry for yourself rather than taking proactive steps to promote restoring your dental health.