What to Do in a Dental Emergency?

We know dental emergencies can be painful and often frightening, but we are here to help and make every effort to see people in discomfort or pain quickly. Some situations are more urgent than others, for example:

• Severe toothache
• Gum or facial swelling near the affected tooth
• Jaw injuries
• Knocking out or loosening a permanent tooth
• Bleeding that fails to stop after applying gentle pressure for fifteen minutes

If you do lose a tooth, store it in a little milk and come and see us immediately as we might be able to save the tooth. Swelling affecting your mouth or face can be relieved using a warm saltwater rinse made by dissolving a teaspoon of salt in a mug of water. However, you must still see a dentist urgently as you could have a severe infection that may even become life threatening.

Other situations might be unpleasant, but may not need emergency dental care and include:

• Losing a filling or crown
• Cracking or breaking a tooth where there isn’t severe pain
• Food trapped between teeth
• Damaging or breaking braces, a retainer or night guard

We are still open for dental emergencies. Contact us for more detailed advice over the phone, and we can get you booked in to see our dentist.