What counts as a dental emergency
- Toothache that keeps you awake or doesn't ease with painkillers
- A cracked, broken or knocked-out tooth
- A lost filling or crown
- Swelling in the gum, face or jaw
- Bleeding that won't stop
- An injury to the mouth from a fall or a knock
If you aren’t sure whether it’s urgent, just give us a call to discuss it.
Before you get here
Knocked-out adult tooth
Pick it up by the crown, not the root. Rinse it gently with milk or water without scrubbing. If you can, put it back in the socket and bite softly on a clean cloth. If you can't, keep it in milk — not water — and come in straight away. Time matters more than anything else here.
Broken or chipped tooth
Rinse with warm water. Use a cold compress on the outside of the cheek to hold the swelling down. Keep any pieces you find.
Toothache
Rinse with warm salt water and floss gently either side of the tooth in case something is caught. Take the painkiller you would normally take. Don't hold aspirin against the gum — it burns the tissue.
Lost filling or crown
Keep the crown if you still have it; it can often be re-cemented. Chew on the other side and avoid anything very hot or cold until you're seen.
Go to an emergency room instead if
Swelling is spreading toward your eye or down your neck, you're having trouble breathing or swallowing, you have a high fever alongside dental pain, or the injury came with a blow to the head. Those need a hospital, not a dental chair.
Cost
We’ll provide an estimate before performing any treatment.
Don't wait it out.
Dental pain rarely settles on its own, and early is always cheaper than late.