I can hear my mom’s voice tell me, “I told you so!” She’s always nagging me to wear my mouthpiece when I skate. Well, when I biffed it hard yesterday, my face broke my fall. Some of my front tooth is chipped off. I’m 17 years old. I was wondering if the emergency dentist will see me alone? Or maybe it isn’t that big of a deal and I don’t need to worry about it. I don’t want to have to face my mom about this. I’ll pay for it myself.
– Carson in Indiana
Carson,
Trying to handle an adult situation like this is a good thing. Although, in a circumstance where you are not legally an adult, you may have to man up and tell your mom what happened. Try to remember she has your best interests in mind and if you’re honest instead of going behind her back, hopefully she will respect your maturity.
The law states that anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor. Therefore, you cannot consent to your own medical treatment until that time. So you will not be able to see an emergency dentist on your own to get it taken care of without her consent.
On the good side, she likely has you covered on her dental insurance. There is a good chance most of the fees will be covered if your family has dental insurance. If you were to pay out of pocket, it could be hundreds of dollars depending on the extent of the damage to the tooth. So, hiding it will probably do more harm than good in the long run.
Don’t put off seeing the dentist. If you aren’t in pain, it’s not necessarily a dental emergency, but it should be checked out. An x-ray can be done and in most cases it can be remedied more economically if you act soon. It could be an easy fix with dental bonding. Or if it’s cracked or broken further down, a crown or root canal are a possibility. Sorry to say it, but just tell your mom.
This post is sponsored by York PA dentist Donald H. Currie, DMD