Emergency Call Protocol
Emergency Call Protocol for Dentists
Dental emergencies are time-sensitive and stressful for both the patient and your staff. When a patient is in throbbing pain from an abscess or a knocked-out tooth, they will call the first office that picks up the phone. This protocol helps you triage calls instantly so you never lose a $600 emergency extraction to the dentist down the street.
Defining a True Dental Emergency
Not every broken tooth is an emergency, but your patients don't always know that. A true emergency involves severe pain that prevents sleep, uncontrolled bleeding after an extraction, or visible swelling in the gums or face which could indicate a dangerous abscess. A lost crown or a small chip without pain can usually wait for the next available business hour. You must teach your front desk or your AI system to distinguish between a $150 filling repair and a $600 surgical extraction.
Key takeaway: Prioritize patients with facial swelling, heavy bleeding, or pain that OTC meds cannot touch.
The Triage Decision Tree
Your intake process should follow a strict hierarchy. First, ask: 'Is there swelling in your face or neck?' If yes, they need an immediate slot or an ER referral. Second, ask: 'Is the tooth completely knocked out?' For adult teeth, every minute counts for reimplantation. Third, ask: 'On a scale of 1 to 10, how is the pain?' Anything above an 8 requires a same-day 'fit-in' appointment. Using SkipCalls to handle these initial intake questions ensures that even when you are mid-procedure with a crown prep, the patient's urgency is recorded and categorized.
