FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

REAL TIME 24/7 DENTAL CARE IN DELAND, FLORIDA

We provide REAL TIME 24/7 emergency dental care. Unlike other dentists who want you to believe they are available anytime for a dental emergency, you expect YOUR emergency to be taken care of Rite Now. Contacting just any “emergency” dentist online or through an answering service, and then hoping for a call back to make or confirm an appointment just isn’t an option. Who knows if or when you will ever get that return call or when you will get an appointment?

If your dentist tells you that you can’t be seen until tomorrow or for several days or weeks, hang up the phone and call Rite Now Dental at 386-337-7070, or click on the About Appointments tab on this website.

When you have a toothache or for any dental emergency, YOU WANT TREATMENT RITE NOW! At Rite Now Dental you can usually be seen within 2 hours of booking online. That means anytime, whether it be holidays, weekends, 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, or Christmas day. No need to wait for a call back. Your appointment is CONFIRMED and we will open the office outside of our regular office hours just for you! We guarantee you will be seen at the time you booked or you will be given a prompt refund of your online booking fee. Due to prep time involved in opening and staffing the office after-hours on short notice, once an after-hours appointment is made, it cannot be cancelled or rescheduled. If an appointment time doesn’t show as available it means that appointment time has already been taken or has been blocked out.

WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY ONLINE TO MAKE AN AFTER HOURS APPOINTMENT?

We are available 24 hours, seven days a week, all year long including holidays. The office is closed except for the regular office hours listed on this website. When you need an appointment outside of our regular hours, you are paying in advance for time that is guaranteed and allows us to come to the office any time of day or night and open the office just for you! The fees for this service are reasonable and compare to what other dentists charge for a similar visit during normal business hours. In the unlikely event that we fail to honor your after hours appointment time, your online booking fee will be promptly refunded. Due to prep time involved in opening and staffing the office after-hours on short notice, once an after-hours appointment is made, it cannot be cancelled or rescheduled.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT UPON ARRIVAL AFTER HOURS?

When you arrive after hours, the office may appear to be closed. It is best to arrive no more than 15 minutes early for your appointment. One of our office staff will arrive to open the office and greet you right before your appointment time.

Necessary X-rays will be taken with an examination and diagnosis of the problem area. This service is included in the booking fees that you paid for online. Any treatment that is recommended and it’s cost, (extraction, root canal, etc.) will be discussed first, and payment will be required at this time if you agree to proceed with the recommended treatment.

WHAT EMERGENCY TREATMENT WILL BE PERFORMED?

Dental problems can be complex and difficult to diagnose, especially when more than one area of the mouth is unhealthy. Most dental emergencies that we see in our office involve only a specific area or tooth that is causing pain, either from an active infection or inflammation. We understand that you may have more than one area of concern however it is not possible to treat the entire mouth or several areas in one emergency visit. Our goal is to treat the area that prompted you to make an appointment and to get you comfortable as quickly as possible. If there are other dental issues that are not causing discomfort at this time, we will recommend returning during regular office hours for a comprehensive dental evaluation and consultation on the best way to treat any other areas of concern.

WILL I BE GIVEN PAIN MEDICATION?

Normally and is accordance with current state and federal laws regarding the dispensing of pain medications, only patients who proceed with treatment are eligible to receive prescribed pain medications.

DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?

We accept many Insurance, PPO’s, Medicaid, Medicaid HMO’s, and Medicare plans throughout the week and during regular office hours only, however these plans are not accepted on Wednesdays.   Please see Fees and Insurance page.  We always accept all major credit cards and cash. Care Credit can also be used for the cost of treatment if you have an established line of credit. New Care Credit accounts can be opened during regular office hours only. Checks are not accepted.

DO YOU ACCEPT MEDICAID AND MEDICARE?

Medicaid and Medicare are only accepted during regular office hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Medicaid and Medicare are NOT accepted forms of payment at ANY other times including after-hours and weekend appointments made online on this website. Appointments made online on this website are scheduled on a “fee for service” basis only.

CAN I HAVE A TOOTH/TEETH EXTRACTED THE SAME DAY?

In most cases, yes, however treatment will not be started until a diagnosis of your condition is made and satisfactory medical assessments are completed.

CAN YOU USE LAUGHING GAS (NITROUS OXIDE) OR CAN YOU PUT ME TO SLEEP?

We do not offer general anesthesia or deep sedation services at this time. Patients who require light conscious sedation must first be evaluated to determine if they are a candidate for that procedure and may only be seen during regular office hours. Nitrous Oxide Gas is available for enhanced conscious sedation and only to Fee For Service Patients who are seen on Wednesdays or after-hours. Please Note: Insurance plans including Medicaid and Medicare are not accepted on Wednesdays and patients are required to sign a waiver of insurance coverage to be eligible for Nitrous Oxide administration. 

IS DR. MOO AND ORAL SURGEON?

No, Dr. Moo is a general dentist with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree who has limited his practice to emergency dental care, extractions, root canals and dentures.

DO YOU SEE CHILDREN?

In most cases only adults over 18 are seen for treatment. Some children may be seen depending on the emergency, and on a “case by case” basis, however services are limited to services such as extraction of non-repairable teeth, pulpotomy and root canals. General dentistry, fillings, and cleaning services are not available. We do not treat children under five. AFTER HOURS APPOINTMENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PATIENTS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE A DENTIST?

Any treatment performed here is done on an emergency care basis. We encourage you to visit your regular dentist for follow-up care. Record of your visit can be sent to your regular dentist at no extra cost upon request. It is the patient’s responsibility to receive continued care, cleanings, and all required follow-up care from their regular dentist.

DO YOU DO OTHER DENTAL PROCEDURES – SUCH AS CLEANING, FILLINGS OR CROWNS?

No. Our clinic focuses on emergency care, extractions, root canals and dentures.

DOES AFTER HOURS URGENT CARE COST MORE?

A non-refundable after hours booking fee is charged to book an appointment online to cover the cost of opening our office and meeting you at a time that is most convenient for you outside of our normal hours of operation. This fee is not charged when you call and make your appointment during regular office hours.

SHOULD I JUST GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM?

Patients who go to the hospital emergency room with dental problems are a growing concern in that this creates a strain on an already overloaded health care system not designed to diagnose or treat dental problems. In most cases the ER can offer little or no relief for the dental patient. ER doctors and their staff are not trained, qualified, or equipped to treat toothaches, broken teeth, or abscesses. The most a hospital ER department can sometimes do is prescribe an antibiotic if they believe an infection is present. Pain medication options have become limited and controlled narcotic medications are rarely prescribed by hospital emergency rooms. Please read WHEN SHOULD I GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM?

WILL I NEED FOLLOW-UP CARE?

Follow-up care may be recommended after your emergency visit and will be scheduled during our regular office hours. Please make sure that you closely follow any after instructions that are given to you at the completion of treatment. Depending on any follow-up care you might need, there may be a fee for additionally recommended services.

If you believe that you have unusual problems that are extreme in nature AFTER being seen for an emergency in our office, please TEXT your concern to 386-414-4146. DO NOT TEXT THIS NUMBER UNLESS YOU HAVE JUST RECENTLY BEEN SEEN BY US FOR AN AFTER-HOURS EMERGENCY. 

We will get back to you as soon as possible. DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER during regular office hours and only call this number after hours if texting is not an option. If you have other issues that you feel need immediate attention and/or that are not being addressed to your satisfaction, please read the next section WHEN SHOULD I GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM?

WILL TAKING AN ANTIBIOTIC FIX MY TOOTHACHE?

Answer:  No!  In fact, taking an antibiotic for a toothache without knowing the reason for the toothache can make things worse in the long run.  Most toothaches start out as INFLAMATION of the nerve inside of the tooth, and NOT infection.  An inflamed tooth is affected by temperature changes, hot, cold, or both and will typically present with symptoms of throbbing, pounding and/or radiating pain.

This is NOT an infection and taking an antibiotic will do nothing for this kind of toothache.  Sometimes the pain will eventually stop,  making the patient think that the problem “has gone away”.   The pain may go away, however that’s because the nerve in the tooth is probably no longer vital, becoming what is sometimes referred to as a “dead tooth”.  Now the stage is set for an infection.  Once infected, the “dead” tooth can cause an abscess in the jaw creating another type of “toothache” that is sometimes accompanied with swelling of the face or jaws and/or drainage of pus coming from around the gum of the tooth.

In this case, it may be appropriate to take an antibiotic to get the swelling down, however taking an  antibiotic will not be a permanent cure.  The source of the infection MUST be removed or the infection will eventually return with antibiotic resistant strains of  bacteria, often times so severe that hospitalization will be necessary.  A dental infection can if fact become so serious that like any infection,  toxic shock may develop which can be fatal.

The only way to treat an inflamed tooth or an infected tooth is to remove the source of inflammation or infection (IE; the tooth).  As an alternative, if there is sufficient tooth and root remaining a root canal can be done to treat the inflammation or infection by removing the nerves and infected tissues  from inside the tooth and “save” the tooth from having to be extracted.

HAS ANYONE EVER DIED FROM HAVING AN INFECTED TOOTH?

Unfortunately the answer is yes.  Just type “death from infected tooth” into the Google search engine and view the results.  Also, read the FAQ in this section “Will taking an antibiotic fix my toothache?”

WHEN SHOULD I GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM?

YOU SHOULD GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IF:

  1. You experience a rapid onset of swelling or difficulty in breathing
  2. You have a fever that persists of over 101
  3. There is uncontrolled and profuse bleeding from a surgical site

PLEASE NOTE: A small amount of blood mixed with a volume of saliva can be confused as heavy bleeding and can be considered as normal following dental surgery. Bleeding from an extraction site can last for several hours throughout the day and night, especially if more than one tooth was removed. Carefully follow ALL post-operative care instructions to help control normal bleeding. If you are unsure if any bleeding is not normal, please TEXT your concern to:  386-414-4146

SPECIAL NOTE: if you text us after regular office hours, someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Only call after hours if texting is not an option and ONLY if you are having problems after treatment that was done in our office.

Want to schedule an appointment?

Call us at (386) 337-7070