Emergency dental advice

When it comes to emergency dental issues, panic is (understandably) the first think that is likely to happen. This only ends up winding you up more and creating more pain and anxiety. Relax as best you can and take a logical approach to the situation – this is very important.

The first thing to understand and recognise is the types of situations that require emergency dental care. The last thing you need is stressful and unnecessary trips to endure emergency dental work if you don’t have to. Let’s be clear, all dental issues can be a nuisance or unpleasant, but some can wait till the normal hours of operation while others can’t – this is exactly the same as most other health problems.

Most common type of dental problems which arise ‘out of hours’ include cracked or broken teeth, or those which have come out of the mouth completely. Depending on how severe chipped or broken the teeth are and where these are located, will determine whether an emergency appointment is required. If you are in severe pain or large parts of the teeth are affected, then it is more likely an emergency appointment will be needed. The trick here is to trust your own intuition and common sense.

Some advice

Depending on what the issue is there are a range self-help options available for emergency situations.

If your tooth has come out, try not to handle it too much in order to preserve it. Clean the tooth to remove dirt and keep it surrounded by your saliva or milk until a professional can assist. Any bleeding in the mouth can be helped by using a cold and wet compress in the meantime.

Sometimes the problem may not be as clear cut at this – you could be experiencing severe tooth pain but not know the cause. The first point of action here should always be to phone your dentist – even outside of normal hours. Like doctors surgery’s, many provide advice or instructions on what to do out of hours if an emergency arises.

Many dentists (like ours) offer emergency dental appointments so you can rest with the peace and satisfaction that knowing if the worst happens you can always been seen and cared for by the right health professional when you actually need it.

If all else fails or you don’t get very far then remember that heading to A & E or a dental hospital is always an option, although many think of these as a last resort. The benefit to this is that someone can look at your problem, assess it and signpost you down the right route – this will often be fast tracked cutting down waiting times – exactly what you need in an emergency situation. These kinds of facilities will be able to prescribe (including medications) to make you more comfortable also.

Find out more essential and important information about emergency dental care, by visiting our emergency dentists page, or see our earlier blog on this topic.