Dental emergencies, such as sudden pain, swelling, or injury to your tooth or gums, can occur to anyone. If you’re experiencing any troubling symptoms or have had trauma to your mouth, the best thing to do is contact your dentist for advice and to make an appointment sooner rather than later.
Broken or chipped teeth become an emergency when they start to become symptomatic. Experiencing pain, and even feeling sharpness in the tooth, are causes for concern and should be addressed before pain escalates or any broken edges traumatise the soft tissue in your mouth. Even if your broken tooth isn’t displaying any emergency symptoms, you shouldn’t delay seeing the dentist for too long.
In some cases, a filling or crown may come loose and be lost. While this is not a dental emergency, absence of the filling or crown may cause sensitivity and should be addressed for your own comfort and oral functioning. It is also important to have your lost filling or crown seen to as soon as you can to avoid any possible damage to the remaining tooth structure.
FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW IF A TOOTH HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT
Important! If it’s a baby tooth, DO NOT place it back in.
- Locate the tooth and pick it up by the crown. DO NOT touch the root surface.
- If dirty, gently rinse the tooth with milk or the injured person’s own saliva. DO NOT use bottled or tap water or chemicals and do not scrub, dry or wrap the tooth.
- Position the tooth back in the socket, making sure it is facing the right way around. The sooner the tooth is replaced, the best chance it will have to survive.
- Once in place, hold the tooth by gently biting down on a soft cloth or tissue, or you can use aluminium foil or your mouthguard to hold it in place.
- If you are unable to position the tooth into the socket, keep it moist by placing it in milk or in the injured person’s mouth (next to their cheek).
- See your nearest dentist ideally within an hour of the accident.
We will be open during the holiday period excluding week-ends and public holidays. Our opening times will remain the same, however we may close earlier than usual depending on our schedule for the day. If you encounter a dental emergency these holidays, don’t hesitate to call as we can arrange an emergency appointment for you.
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