How to Survive a Dental Emergency Abroad

Bekah Wright
04/25/2016
How to Survive a Dental Emergency Abroad

This blog is part of our accident-prone tourist series. It features letters inspired by real-life travel mishaps faced by frequent international traveler Bekah Wright.

Read the Other Blogs in the Accident-Prone Tourist Series:

 

Dear WorldTrips,

As a travel writer, I'm always on the road. And as someone who's accident prone, I've learned the benefits of preparing for the unpredictable by purchasing travel medical insurance. Which brings me to a recent trip to Germany.

Prior to a conference, I visited several major cities throughout Germany. I'm happy to say, despite being a klutz (a word of German origin, by the way), I didn't trip or fall even once. It seemed like I was going to get through the trip without incident, until a fateful encounter with a gummy bear.

You see, instead of placing chocolates on pillows, hotels throughout Germany showcase what seems to be their national snack of choice – gummy bears. And, let me just tell you… they're delicious. And chewy. Very, very chewy.

At one four-star hotel, a bag of gummy bears was waiting for consumption upon check-in. Delighted, I popped a morsel into my mouth and proceeded to chew. Then, a funny thing happened. Well, not so funny. A dental crown on one of my teeth was suctioned off by a dreaded gummy bear. This resulted in instant pain. A lot of it.


accident-prone tourist accident-prone tourist accident-prone tourist

 

In horror, I stared at it in my hand and wondered: what should I do? And, will my travel medical insurance cover dental mishaps whilst overseas?

In this case, the hotel concierge was able to locate a dentist just across the street. Despite the conveniently-located dentist, I still wasn't sure if my medical bills for the emergency procedure would be covered. Do you offer insurance for travelers with an incessant sweet tooth?

P.S. Red gummies are the best!

Sincerely,

The Accident-Prone Tourist

 

Dear Accident-Prone Tourist,

You're in luck! Our Atlas Travel medical insurance plan includes an Emergency Dental (*Acute Onset of Pain) benefit that covers up to $300 for eligible treatment per certificate period.

This benefit covers:

  • Emergency dental treatment necessary to resolve *acute onset of pain, provided treatment is obtained within 72 hours of the acute onset of pain

*Acute onset of pain is a sudden and unexpected occurrence of pain which occurs without advance warning, either in the form of physician or dentist recommendation or symptoms, including pain, which would have caused a prudent person to seek medical or dental attention prior to the onset of pain. Initial treatment must be obtained within seventy-two (72) hours of the sudden and unexpected occurrence of pain.

If a follow-up dentist visit is required upon returning home, Atlas Travel’s benefit period will cover eligible medical expenses in your home country for 90 days after the beginning of treatment, as long as the related injury/illness:

  • is eligible under your coverage,
  • began while your coverage was still in effect, and
  • treatment began while you were outside your home country.

 

Seeking Dental Treatment

WorldTrips can help you locate the appropriate healthcare professional while traveling internationally.

Visit our “Find a Doctor” page or phone us at 1-800-605-2282 or 1-317-262-2132 for referrals to dental practices in Germany (or another destination) that speak English.

Feel free to give us a call for further clarification, or if you have additional questions, at 1-800-605-2282.

Sincerely,

WorldTrips 

P.S. And, while we agree that red gummies are tasty, we're kind of partial to the orange ones.


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WorldTrips international travel medical insurance products are underwritten by Lloyd's. WorldTrips is a service company and a member of the Tokio Marine HCC group of companies. WorldTrips has authority to enter into contracts of insurance on behalf of the Lloyd's underwriting members of Lloyd's Syndicate 4141, which is managed by HCC Underwriting Agency, Ltd.