If you’ve suffered an injury or have rapidly developing tooth pain, you should seek urgent care.
What quantifies a dental emergency, you might ask?
A dental emergency could be one of the following:
- Facial swelling
- Bleeding (trauma affecting your mouth)
- Dental pain (e.g. in teeth, mouth, gum, jaw)
- Lost filling
- Denture repair
- Toothache
- Dental pain
- Abscessed tooth
- Gum infection
- Broken front teeth
- Broken dentures
- Lost fillings
- Knocked out tooth
- Chipped teeth
- Wisdom tooth pain
- General tooth/teeth pain or discomfort
If your gums are bleeding or if you’ve been in an accident that has impacted your teeth, it’s important to seek out emergency dental care. Contacting your local dental clinic immediately is crucial for them to assess and repair any dental fractures or issues that may have resulted from any accident.
To reduce swelling for urgent pain relief on a tooth, it’s also important to contact your local dentist clinic.
What do I do if my tooth has been knocked out or I have a broken tooth?
In an instance when you lose a tooth, time is of the utmost importance. Don’t delay your treatment. Time is critical!
Keep calm and find the tooth. Remember to pick up the tooth by the crown and avoid touching the tooth.
If the tooth is dirty, DO NOT touch the root – it can become damaged. Contrary to popular belief, do not put the tooth in water or on ice.
You must rinse the tooth in milk or if milkis not available, rinse briefly under cold water.
What do I do if I have a tooth that is chipped, fractured or cracked?
Clean the affected area by rinsing your mouth with warm salt water. After this, use an ice pack or a cold compress to reduce swelling.
The urgency depends on the severity but, if you need, contact your local dentist immediately for an emergency appointment.
What do I do if I have a toothache?
In the case of a toothache, if swelling is present, place an ice pack or cold compress to the outside of your mouth or cheek. Gently use dental floss to remove any food caught between your teeth. For quick relief, ask your dentist or pharmacist about any over-the-counter pain medication. If the pain persists, contact your local dentist immediately for an emergency appointment.
What do I do if I have bitten my lip, tongue or cheek?
Clean the area gently with warm salty water. Then, apply pressure to the area with an ice pack or a cold compress. If the bleeding continues after about 15 minutes, contact us immediately for an emergency appointment.
What do I do if I have an abscess?
By rinsing the mouth regularly with warm salt water, you can help alleviate discomfort until you’re able to see your dentist. This is important as it can cause more widespread infection and may be life-threatening.
What do I do if I have lost a tooth filling or a crown?
If a cavity develops underneath a filling or crown, it can become loose and eventually fall out. A new filling or crown is likely to be needed.
What do I do if I have a lip, soft tissue or gum trauma?
Try to clean the wound straight away. If bleeding persists, place pressure on the wound using gauze. Contact your dentist as soon as possible.
What do I do if I experience discomfort or pain following wisdom teeth removal?
Apply an ice pack or cold compress to the outside of the face to reduce swelling and rinse your mouth out with warm salty water every couple of hours. The urgency depends on the severity of the pain.
What do I do if I have dislodged veneers?
As soon as your porcelain veneer is dislodged, it’s important to store it and bring it with you to your dental clinic for your emergency appointment. Don’t try to put the veneer back on yourself. This can lead to serious damage to the veneer as well as the underlying tooth structure.
Located in Greenwood, in Perth, Western Australia, Nunyara Dental provides quality and comprehensive emergency dental care to help patients with dental treatment within Perth city.
We are an emergency dentist in Perth operating 5 days a week.
If you require emergency dental care please call (08) 9342 7186 during office hours Monday to Friday 7 am – 5 pm, or book online with ease by clicking here.
Please note we do not offer after hours emergency services.
References: dental.gov.wa
stjohnhealth.com.au