In Case of Emergency

What you should do in the event of a dental emergency:

Please call the practice as early as possible in the morning so that we can arrange an
appointment as soon as possible. Out of hours emergency number is 111 NHS helpline.

Toothache:
If you have constant pain this indicating that there is something wrong that requires attention.
You can take painkillers and Ibuprofen seems to be the best option in majority of cases. If you
cannot take Ibuprofen, Paracetamol is recommended but be careful not to exceed the maximum
dose.

Swelling:
This is usually an indication of an acute infection and antibiotics and/or treatment will be required.
You must contact the practice as soon as possible. Swelling is also associated with surgical
procedures and in these cases does not necessarily mean that there is an underlying infection
but often is associated with soft tissue trauma and oedema as a result of the procedure.

Broken tooth:
In majority of cases these can be restored. If the tooth is painful avoid hot/cold foods and take
painkillers such as Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. Try and avoid eating or biting on that side. An early
appointment is necessary to avoid further damage to the tooth and the pulp inside the tooth. If
the nerve/pulp is not affected/infected a temporary restoration will be placed until the tooth settles
down.

Crown comes off:
Keep it safe so it can be re-cemented. If the tooth under the crown is painful avoid eating near it.
It is essential that the crown is re cemented as failure to do so can lead to further damage and
the necessity for root canal treatment.

Knocked out tooth:
If your tooth comes out intact needs to be re-implanted into the socket as soon a possible. If you
can place the tooth back in the socket and hold it in place with silver paper. If you cannot do not
place the tooth in water. Do place the tooth in cold milk or ideally in normal saline if you have
access to it. Try not to handle the root of the tooth and do not rinse the tooth under the water tap
in order to protect the fibres around the root surface. It is important that you are seen by us or a
local emergency service as soon as possible in order to re-implant the tooth into the socket and
the success of the above treatment depends onto how quickly is done.

Broken denture:
Broken dentures can be repaired relatively easily as long as they have not broken in multiple
pieces. Do not try to repair the denture with glue yourself as this often makes a repair very
difficult. Contact the practice as soon as you can to arrange a repair by one of our dental
technicians.