WVU Dental treating emergencies only, patients asked to call ahead

The safety and well-being of our patients and providers at WVU Dental is of utmost importance during current circumstances. To avoid the spread of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, and in coordination with West Virginia Governor Jim Justice’s Stay at Home advisory, we have reduced our services to provide care for dental emergencies only in the Urgent Care clinic.

To further help in the effort to stop the spread, we are discouraging walk-in visits. Patients should call ahead at 304-293-6208.

“Particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak, WVU Dental’s central focus is to protect the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and patients as well as to maintain our commitment to education and service to the community,” said Dr. Juan Bugueno, assistant professor of oral medicine in the WVU School of Dentistry’s diagnostic sciences department.

We are committed to continuing emergent treatment as long as safely advised and supported by our dentistry experts and University, state and federal regulators.

Emergencies include

• Severe dental pain
• Infection of wisdom teeth
• Facial swelling due to dental infection, infected mouth wounds or trauma
• Tooth fracture resulting in pain or causing uncontrolled bleeding
• Temporary crown lost and causing pain/bleeding
• Denture adjustment causing pain and functioning improperly
• Adjustment of an orthodontic wire piercing or causing damage inside the mouth, and loose brackets

We are operating our Urgent Care clinic using precautionary registration measures.

“Daily, even hourly, we are collecting COVID-19 updates and reviewing our clinical protocols to provide responsible, efficient and safe urgent care to our patients as well as safeguard our providers and staff” said Bugueno.

If you are unsure if what you are experiencing is a dental emergency, call ahead at 304-293-6208.

If you do need to come in for care, expect to have your temperature taken before check-in. We will inquire about international travel and visits to other states where high COVID-19 rates are reported. And, we will ask if you have been in close contact with anyone who has traveled, shown signs of COVID-19 or has been diagnosed with the disease.

WVU Dental Urgent Care clinic hours are Monday through Friday from 8:15 am to 11:30 am and from 1:00 pm to 3:45 pm.