Emergency Dental Care
Emergencies dental instances can involve the loss of a filling or damaged tooth, severe toothache, a swollen face, or trauma from an injury to the teeth and mouth.
If you have toothache for longer than one or two days, you should see us as soon as possible to have it treated. The longer you leave it, the worse it will get.
Toothache usually leads to a dental abscess forming.
Toothache happens when the innermost layer of the tooth called the dental pulp becomes inflamed.
The pulp can become diseased because of:
- tooth decay that leads to cavities (holes) forming in the hard surface of the tooth
- a cracked tooth – cracks are often so small that it can’t be seen with the naked eye
- loose or broken fillings
- receding gums – where the gums shrink away from the tooth to expose softer, more sensitive parts of the tooth root called cementum
- periapical abscess – a collection of pus at the end of the tooth caused by bacterial infection
What should you do if a permanent tooth has been knocked out?
- First check that the person does not have any other injuries, if they seems seriously hurt call an ambulance.
- Find the tooth/teeth and if dirty gently rinse in milk or sterile saline solution from a chemist. (Use plain water as a last resort), holding the crown of the tooth. Do not rub or scrub the tooth root.
- Put the tooth straight back into place in the mouth.
- If you cannot put the tooth in place in the mouth put the tooth straight into a glass of milk, not water.
- Book an appointment to see us, we can make room for dental trauma patients so please mention this over the phone or go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible – even if you cannot find the tooth.