Dentist open during the summer holiday? How to arrange emergency care

Summer is when many people head off for a break. It is exactly in those weeks that many dental practices close for a number of days or weeks. That does not have to be a problem, as long as you know in advance where to go if an unexpected complaint arises. At Tandarts West in Rotterdam West we deliberately do something different, we stay open throughout the summer holiday on our usual opening hours. In this article, dentist Nilgun Dogan explains what counts as an emergency, what you can do yourself and how to arrange a check-up in time.

Why practices close in summer, and why we do not

A dental practice closing for a few weeks in summer is perfectly normal. A small team finds it hard to keep running when everyone wants to be off at the same time, and many patients are away in July and August anyway. Most practices therefore arrange a stand-in or refer temporarily to a nearby colleague. For you as a patient that is well organised, provided you know where to be if something happens.

Tandarts West in Rotterdam West chooses to stay open throughout the summer holiday. We work on our normal opening hours, Monday to Thursday from 08:00 to 17:00 and Friday from 08:00 to 16:30. We are closed at the weekend. That means you can come to us in the middle of summer too, for a check-up or a complaint, without having to wait until September.

What counts as a dental emergency?

Not every complaint is an emergency. It helps to know what the profession considers urgent, so you can make a sensible judgement. As a dentist, I count the following situations as genuine emergencies:

• A knocked-out tooth and serious dental injury. For example after a fall or a blow, where a tooth is loose, has moved or is completely out of the mouth.
• Severe pain. Throbbing or persistent pain that keeps you awake and does not fade.
• A wound that will not stop bleeding. For example after a fall or after a tooth has come out.
• A swollen cheek or a throbbing feeling. A swelling can point to an infection that needs attention quickly.

What is usually not an emergency: a small corner that has chipped off a tooth without pain, a discoloured filling or a check-up that can simply wait. Annoying, but it can wait a few days until you can see your dentist. Not sure whether your complaint is an emergency? Check our page about an emergency at the dentist, where each situation is described along with our advice.

A swollen cheek or bleeding that will not stop is an emergency, a chipped corner without pain can simply wait.

Your own dentist is closed: how to get help

Say you get a swollen cheek on a Saturday in August and your own practice is away on holiday. Then calmly work through the following steps:

1. Check your own practice's website. Almost every dentist posts a holiday notice there with the name of a stand-in or a phone number for emergencies.
2. Listen to the voicemail. Call your own practice and the answering machine often tells you exactly who is covering and how to reach them.
3. If you cannot work it out, call Tandartsenpost010. This is the regional emergency service at the Erasmus MC, reachable on 010 455 2155. You can go here outside office hours and at the weekend.

At Tandarts West too, the rule is: outside our opening hours and at the weekend, emergencies go through Tandartsenpost010. We do not have our own evening or weekend opening. During our opening hours you call us directly on 010 846 6539. Not a patient with us yet, but your practice is closed for summer? Then you are still welcome during the day, because there is no waiting list.

What you can do while you wait

While you wait for help, you can often make a complaint more bearable. Do not do anything you are unsure about and do not use any remedies on your own initiative. Our complaint pages describe what gives relief for each situation:

• Severe toothache. On our page about toothache you can read what you can do at home to ease the pain until you see the dentist.
• A broken or knocked-out tooth. Keep the piece or the tooth carefully. How best to do that is on our page about a broken tooth.
• A swollen cheek or swelling. This can point to an infection. Read on our page about a dental abscess when quick help is needed.
• Pain around your jaw or jaw joint. On our page about jaw complaints you will find explanation and tips that bring relief.

These pages do not replace treatment, but they help you bridge the time until your appointment. With serious complaints, always contact a dentist or Tandartsenpost010.

A brace or loose bracket during the holiday

If you wear a brace, summer is a time to be extra alert. A fault you cannot fix yourself, such as a loose bracket or a wire that comes loose and pokes into your cheek, also counts as urgent. It is annoying and sometimes painful, but rarely a reason to panic.

If you have a fixed brace and something breaks, check our page about the fixed brace for guidance. If you use clear aligners, you will find more information on our page about Invisalign and orthodontics. Contact us during our opening hours if something comes loose, and we will see how quickly we can help you. Do not start tinkering with the brace yourself, as that often only makes it worse.

Checklist before you leave

The best emergency care is the emergency you prevent. A few simple steps let you travel with peace of mind:

• Have a check-up well before you leave. Do not plan it just before you go, but a few weeks earlier, so there is time to treat something if it turns out to be needed.
• Know who to call. Put the number of your own dentist and of Tandartsenpost010 (010 455 2155) in your phone.
• Take your dentist's details with you. Handy if a doctor or dentist elsewhere needs information.
• Pack your oral care. For tips on healthy teeth on the road, read our summer guide on keeping your teeth healthy while travelling.

Costs, reimbursement and emergencies abroad

You do not need to worry about costs straight away during an emergency visit, but it is good to know how it works. The rates for dental care are set nationally by the Dutch Healthcare Authority, so a dentist does not charge its own prices. An overview of what treatments cost is on our page with rates. What you get reimbursed depends on your insurance. On our page about insurance coverage we explain how that works.

If you go on holiday abroad, check with your own health insurer before you travel what you are reimbursed there and whether additional travel cover is sensible. The rules differ per policy and per country, so do not rely on general assumptions but ask your insurer. You will also find background on this on our page about insurance coverage.

In short: many practices close in summer, but Tandarts West in Rotterdam West stays open on the normal opening hours. Arrange your check-up in time, know who to call in an emergency, and then you can head into the sun with peace of mind.