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PELHAM – With hospitals, emergency rooms and urgent care clinics currently occupied with trying to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Pelham Dental Care is available to anyone in the community who needs emergency dental care.

“Toothaches and dental emergencies don’t go away even when we are supposed to socially distance ourselves,” said Dr. Nicholas Kentros, who works in partnership with Dr. Russell Turner at Pelham Dental Care.

Furthermore, Kentros said urgent care clinics and emergency rooms are typically not equipped to handle dental emergencies, such as toothaches, dental abscesses or broken teeth.

“We are here to help anyone in the community who needs emergency dental care,” Kentros said.

Pelham Dental Care is following the guidelines from the Alabama Department of Public Health, the American Dental Association and the Alabama Board of Dental Examiners when it comes to providing care in the midst of COVID-19.  In addition, the dental facility is following all Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for personal protection and infection control.

The facility provides curbside check-in and is screening each patient for any COVID-19 symptoms prior to treatment. The dentists are available for telephone consults and to schedule emergency appointments.

On April 1, a patient called Kentros’ emergency phone number around 7 a.m. The patient is active duty in the Army National Guard, stationed in Birmingham, and she explained that she was having a terrible toothache with severe swelling.

After calling her usual dentist, and several other dentists in the area, she discovered that they were all closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, she found Pelham Dental Care, and Kentros scheduled her for an emergency appointment at 9:30 a.m. the same day.

Kentros and his assistant were able to quickly treat her infected tooth and relieve her of severe pain.

“Being able to help a person in need who is on the front lines to protect our country, is the kind of thing that we take pride in at Pelham Dental Care,” Kentros said.

Those with emergency dental needs can contact Pelham Dental Care at 205-663-6246 or go to Pelhamdentalcare.com.

Normal office hours have been suspended due to guidelines set by Gov. Kay Ivey.