Fishing Boat at Cabangtalan Beach, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
Floating Cottages at Cabangtalan Beach, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
I hadn’t been writing my blog because I was on vacation in the Philippines. I love the Philippines and I try to explore different parts of the country while I’m there. If you ever need advice on where to go in the Philippines email me, I can help with places to see and other things to experience.
Anyway, I was reminiscing about my trip and I thought that I’ve had a few patients who told me that they had to deal with dental emergencies while abroad. Luckily for me I’ve never had to experience a medical or dental emergency while on vacation. But it would behoove people to be prepared prior to getting on a plane. Some of the things I do before a trip is to pack medicines and other health aids such as vitamin C or Airborne, hydro-cortisone cream for itching, mosquito repellant, antibacterials and bandaids, pain relief pills and antibiotics (I recommend amoxicillin and maybe a Z pac but be sure with your doctor that you can fill a prescription. Taking antibiotics should be with caution).
Make sure to check with the Centers for Disease Control as to what vaccinations you will need for a particular country you will be visiting. The CDC also has a table of diseases that is particular to areas of the globe.
If you think you will be away for a long time get a physical and a dental check up. Some insurance companies do pay for overseas doctor visits but the majority of expenses is out of pocket.
For dental emergencies referrals by friends and family are a great way to see a dentist. You can also ask hotel staff to recommend a dentist close to your hotel. Most likely the dentist will perform paliative treatment (basic treatment to get you out of pain or discomfort) and then when you return from vacation go to your regular dentist for a final treatment plan.
A majority of us don’t usually experience a medical or dental emergency while on vacation but be prepared just in case and please stay safe.
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