Emergency Dentistry

Dental emergencies are an unfortunate occurrence. You may be eating something and suddenly a tooth cracks, or you wake up in the morning with swelling and pain in your jaw.

If you experience a toothache, lost filling or crown, or if you experience pain or discomfort, contact our clinic as soon as possible. Our staff will be able to arrange an appointment for you.

We will treat you promptly, relieve your pain and organise a treatment plan to solve your condition. Of course, if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please go to your local emergency department.

Common Dental Emergencies

What are the most common reasons that people need emergency dental care?

Sudden Tooth Pain – Significant tooth pain with no apparent cause results in many an emergency dental visits. Tooth pain should never be ignored. Many serious conditions can cause tooth pain including:

• Cavities that have penetrated deep into the tooth
• Advanced gum disease
• An abscessed tooth
• Exposed tooth roots
• An impacted tooth

These conditions should be treated promptly to prevent further damage to the tooth or spreading of the infection.

Chipped or Fractured Teeth – Chipped or broken teeth can be caused by sudden trauma to the mouth, or by simply biting down on a hard object. Sometimes this happens because you have a cavity and do not know about it.

Knocked out Adult Teeth – If your tooth is knocked out contact our clinic as soon as possible. Often the tooth may be re-inserted if attended to in a timely manner.

Our chances of saving the tooth are best if you retrieve the tooth and quickly rinse it with cool water, avoiding the root area. Try to re-insert the tooth into the socket, but do not force it. If the tooth cannot be re-inserted, keep it in a glass of milk, or wrap in plastic along with some of the person’s saliva to keep the root moist. 

Other Dental Emergencies

Some of the other reasons we would need to see you promptly include:

• A tooth has become dislodged (but not fully knocked out).
• An object is stuck between your teeth that cannot be removed with brushing or dental floss.
• A filling or crown has fallen out.
• You are experiencing a dental abscess (infection).
• You have injured your gums or palate.

Call our surgery to book an appointment for any dental emergency. We welcome new patients on an emergency basis and will help restore your oral health and your smile.