Referring Emergency Dentistry Cases

The Angell Dentistry Service wants to thank our referring veterinarians for their continued dedication to their patients while referring them to Angell. In an effort to better serve those patients in need of emergency care, Jessica Riehl, DVM, DAVDC has created some guidelines as to which cases classify as dental emergencies, and therefore should be sent to Angell for Emergency treatment and/or diagnostics. The Angell Dentistry Service will make every effort to have cases meeting these guidelines seen in a timely manner and subsequently incorporated into their work schedule.

To this end, please complete and send a dentistry referral form, available at angell.org/referrals prior to calling Angell. These forms are beneficial for both emergencies (and routine referrals once we are able to resume non-emergent dental services in the future). After reviewing the referral form, a member of our staff will take appropriate action in contacting the client and/or the referring veterinarian. This may include advising the client to be seen via the ER, or it may involve scheduling an appointment directly with the veterinary dentist. While we are currently unable to receive attachments/images with this form, it is beneficial to send associated attachments/images to dentistry@angell.org as well as images@angell.org with the client name, pet name, and “Dentistry” in the subject heading. Emailing these addresses will deliver them to the Angell Dentistry Service and deposit the images into an Outlook repository to which all Angell doctors have access. Medical records can be sent to dentistry@angell.org and medrec@angell.org.

The following cases are time sensitive in nature:

• Any type of jaw fracture (may be addressed by either the Angell Dentistry or Angell Surgery Services)
• Teeth that have been fractured within the past 48 hours, and the owner’s intent is to save the tooth/teeth via a vital pulpotomy procedure (particularly in a young pet)
• Tooth avulsion or luxation injuries
• Traumatic malocclusion/orthodontic cases

Cases meeting one of the criterion above should be outlined in an Angell Dental Referral form (angell.org/referrals). Once the form is received by Angell, a member of the staff will reach out appropriately to schedule the patient. We appreciate your continuing support of the Angell Dentistry Service. If you have any questions, please contact us at 617-522-7282 or dentistry@angell.org.