What is a dental emergency?

Not all types of dental pain or conditions are considered an emergency. Scroll down for further information and advice.

Any of the following will require an urgent appointment:

Trauma to the face resulting in broken teeth

Severe toothache with radiating pain to eyes, ears, throat

Painful swelling or abscesses with raised temperature

Following a dental procedure – persistent or increasing pain, bleeding or swelling

Broken tooth accompanied by toothache

Lost filling/crown on a front tooth or with associated pain or sensitivity

Spontaneous and non-stop bleeding from gums or other parts of the mouth

Intense dental pain uncontrollable with painkillers that keeps you awake at night

Call the practice

Call the practice and you’ll have an option to speak to a dentist if it happens when the surgery is closed. If your condition does not fall under any of these categories, then please call our reception within our standard opening hours to schedule a regular check-up or appointment.

When is it not a dental emergency?

The following do not qualify as emergencies but will be treated as urgent appointments:

Lost or loose crowns with no associated pain or sensitivity

Broken dentures

Broken fillings or teeth with some or little sensitivity

Bleeding from the gum

Only go to A&E in serious circumstances such as intense pain, facial swelling and heavy bleeding or for severe injuries to the facial bones, mouth or teeth.

If you are not sure whether your problems require you to visit A&E then contact NHS 111, who will be able to best advise you on what to do.

Treating dental discomfort at home

Steps to take to treat dental discomfort if you’re not able to come to the surgery for an appointment.

Pain control

Clean around the affected area with floss or an interdental brush to remove any potential food impaction and keep the area clean.
Follow a soft diet and chew on the opposite side if possible.
If you think that you may have blocked sinuses, start using a decongestant.
Start using painkillers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen (if not contra-indicated), sometimes it may even be necessary to take both together for a short time.
If there is swelling associated with the pain, then use hot saltwater mouthwashes and hot or cold compresses over the area.

Lost crowns

Clean the crown from any food debris and try to push it back onto the tooth, if it stays in place securely arrange for it to be re-cemented.
There are emergency dental kits available from Boots or Tesco that include a temporary cement to secure the crown with if necessary.
If the crown is very loose don’t put it back in the mouth but put it somewhere safe.

Broken teeth / Lost fillings

Important tips

It can be worrying when you experience a sudden dental trauma or severe mouth or tooth related pain. Here are some important tips for what to do in a dental emergency.

Knocked out teeth

If you have a tooth knocked out, try to find it and call the practice immediately. If re-implanted within a short space of time, there is a fair chance that it will take depending on the severity of the injury. If the root and tooth is intact your dentist may be able to talk you through how to place it back in the mouth until you get to your appointment.

It is important to avoid handling the root at all and to keep the tooth clean.

Painful swelling

Don’t ignore painful swelling around your face, teeth and gums. This can be due to anything from a serious dental infection such as infected gums, teeth or bones as well as gum or tooth abscesses some of which will need immediate treatment.

Some dental infections can be serious so don’t wait – book an emergency appointment straight away.

Chips and breaks

Most small cracks and breakages can be rectified during regular dental appointments. If a tooth suffers a severe crack or break due to trauma then you may need an emergency filling, implant, crown or tooth extraction.

If you have a chipped tooth, then your dentist may be able to smooth down the uneven edge and replace the missing part with a tooth-coloured filling. If you break a back molar then this may have to be replaced with a crown.

If you are a regular attending patient, and have a dental emergency that cannot wait until we reopen , please call the practice on 01621 850312 and follow the instructions on our voicemail, there is a call out charge of £200 and any treatment carried out will be additional.