I was in a car accident. As a result, my front teeth were damaged. The other person was at fault. Can the emergency dentist bill her for the accident?
Lucy
Dear Lucy,
I’m very sorry about your accident. It’s always frustrating when the actions of others cause us to suffer. It’s especially hard when you incur damage to your body and expenses that are unplanned for as well. When you say your front teeth are damaged, I want to make sure you understand that it’s important you see an emergency dentist right away.
You didn’t mention whether or not your teeth are loose, but if they are you’ll need to get them stabilized ASAP. You’ll also need the dentist to see if there’s any damage to the pulp of your teeth. That way you’ll know if you need a root canal treatment or not.
Who Pays for Emergency Dental Appointments
The dentist can only bill the person receiving the treatment unless the other person contacts the dentist with an agreement to pay. That doesn’t mean you can’t get reimbursed for the treatment, especially if the other person received the ticket for the accident.
Sometimes, the people in an accident don’t have insurance and don’t follow through with their responsibilities. If that happens you’ll likely have to take them to small claims court to get your money back.
It’s Important You Don’t Put Off Treatment
Regardless, it’s important you seek treatment even before you get the money. Even if you took them to court and won, they would only pay for what treatment you would need within a reasonable time of seeking treatment. Let’s say you put off getting treatment and then you end up losing your teeth when they could have been saved. They will only charge the defendant for the treatment you would have received had you gone to the dentist on time.
If you end up losing your teeth, but that couldn’t be helped, don’t despair. There are fantastic tooth replacement options these days. For your front teeth, I’d look into dental implants.
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