Dental Emergency

Dental Emergency

We welcome new patients and any emergencies receive priority attention.

A Dental Emergency is any dental problem that needs immediate attention/treatment to alleviate severe pain, to stop swelling or bleeding or to save a tooth to prevent further damage.

Toothache

If you are experiencing a toothache, it may be due to a cavity, leaky filling, a broken tooth/filling, an infection or even a gum (gingival) problem.  Immediate dental treatment will help to ease your discomfort and prevent future painful and more costly problems.

Broken Tooth/Filling

When a tooth/filling is fractured, it may cause no symptoms, be sensitive to temperatures and pressure or it may cause severe pain and possible swelling.  You should see your dentist immediately to assess and treat the tooth to prevent damage to the nerve of the tooth and possible tooth loss

​Tooth Trauma

Sometimes a tooth is injured but there is no obvious fracture.  In this case the nerve may have been affected and tooth discoloration and a tooth abscess may occur with subsequent swelling. Immediate dental treatment is important to prevent tooth loss.

Tooth knocked out (Avulsion)

When a tooth is knocked out by trauma, immediate treatment is crucial to ensure retention of the tooth.  If the tooth is available, very gently rinse any debris off, being careful not to touch the root.

If possible, place the tooth back in it's socket or keep it in the mouth beside the cheek and other teeth.  The tooth may also be kept in a shallow bowl of milk.  Every effort must be made to not disturb the root surface so it may be able to reattach to the tooth socket.  See your dentist immediately within minutes of the injury.

Orofacial Swelling

When a swelling occurs inside the mouth around a tooth root or gumline, see your dentist immediately as it may be indicative of a dental infection.  These infections can spread through to the spaces in the head and neck and can be very serious requiring hospitalization.  

Gingival (gum) Swelling

Some gingival (gum) swellings may be due to tooth or gum disease and should be seen by a dentist as soon as possible.  Appropriate diagnosis and treatment are necessary to prevent pain and loss of the tooth.