How To Find a Dentist on the Weekends

Many people need to find a dentist on the weekend. Whether work or school schedules prevent a visit during normal business hours on the weekdays or a dental emergency occurs, there are often occasions where the weekend is the only time available to see the dentist. Keep reading for tips on how to locate a dentist who takes weekend appointments.

Easily locate a dentist on the weekend

Getting a dental appointment on a Saturday or Sunday is not impossible. Here are some good places to start looking for an available facility.

Ask a local dental practice

Due to the demand for weekend appointments, an increasing number of dental practices are offering weekend hours. Practices with several dentists able to trade off weekend shifts can be the most likely to take patients on these days. It can be easier to find practices with hours on Saturday than Sunday, and Saturday office hours can be more limited than those on weekdays. Popular local dentists who do not have weekend office hours typically know other area dental professionals who do see patients on weekends and may be willing to make a recommendation.

Look into dental clinics

Similar to an urgent care, there are dental clinics that cater to patients who need weekend appointments. While this type of facility is not as common, more populous cities may have a few. Dental clinics such as this also typically accept same-day appointments and offer a variety of payment options for those without insurance. It is important to note the medical professionals at traditional urgent care clinics are not able to perform the following common dental procedures:

• Pulling a tooth
• Repairing a filling
• Replacing a missing tooth
• Performing a root canal

These and most other dental treatments require specialized training and should only be performed by a certified, licensed, properly educated dentist. Also, avoid going to a traditional emergency room or hospital when these types of treatments are needed, as the medical staff at a local hospital will also be unable to help except to provide temporary pain relief in the form of medication.

Use specialized websites

There are websites designed specifically to help people locate dentists offering weekend hours in their area. Most of these sites search a database for results in a specified region based on the zip code provided by the user. When using a website or search engine to help find a dentist, make sure to use specific search terms such as the word dentist or tooth extraction in addition to providing a city name or zip code. This can help narrow the search parameters and prevent other types of medical professionals who may not be able to perform dental procedures from being listed in the search results.