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Dental emergencies can come in many different forms. You may have a broken tooth, had an accident or maybe woken up with a swelling in your face or neck. The best thing to do in this situation is to see a dentist immediately. Priority and same-day appointment are available for dental emergencies. Even if there is a lockdown or stay at home orders the government indicates that dentists are authorised health service providers and are still able to treat patients with urgent dental needs.
If you have any of the following dental problems
- Facial swelling
- Swelling inside the mouth or near a tooth
- Trauma to the face
- Knocked or broken tooth
- Constant, unbearable pain
Call us now so we can see you as soon as possible: phone 03 9071 0085
Dental emergencies can happen at any time! If you have dental emergency outside of our opening hours or on a Sunday, here are a few tips to help until you can get in to see us.
Swelling
Intraoral or external facial swellings often mean a severe dental infection. There are a lot of very important blood vessels, nerves and structures in the mouth and a spreading infection can be very dangerous. These dental swellings can actually be a very serious medical issue.
If you find that your swelling is
- Moving towards your throat and you’re having difficulty breathing
- Causing you have to a high fever, making you vomit or feel unwell
- Extending up into your eye and making your eye swell.
*Please contact your local hospital or emergency ward
If the swelling is not that severe, take some pain killers and contact us to get seen by a dentist as soon as possible. We set aside emergency time-slots for such cases so we can aim to see you on the same day. A swelling or abscess will not heal by itself it only gets worse, so please seek dental help promptly.
Significant/Constant Tooth Pain
For all dental pain, Nurofen or Advil (containing Ibuprofen) is probably the best to provide instant relief – however please check with your pharmacist or GP if you are allowed to take these or not.
Knocked or broken tooth
If you break a molar tooth, the piece cannot be re-attached, so there is no reason to keep them. If you break a large piece of your front tooth, please keep it and bring it with you to your appointment. Use pain relief mediation, warm water and salt, numbing gel and then book in to see us as soon as possible for us to fix the broken tooth.
Dental Crowns and Caps
If a crown or cap falls off, remove the crown, and then retain the cap or crown and bring it to the appointment with you.
Tooth Loss
If an adult tooth is dislodged or knocked out, it can be saved but time is of the essence, you will need to see a dentist immediately (within 30mins is best).
- Remain calm and then rinse off any dirt or dust with milk (or water if you don’t have access to milk).
- Don’t scrub the tooth or touch it.
- Immediately place the tooth back in the socket. You can hold it in place in the socket with a tissue or clean handkerchief or similar. If you can’t put the tooth back in, the next best place to keep it is in the mouth, between the cheek and gum so as to keep it moist – but be careful not to swallow it.
- If you cannot place it in your mouth, then place it in a small container of milk (or wrap in glad wrap).
- Time is critical! The longer the tooth is out of the socket, the chances of saving it decrease.
If a baby tooth has fallen out:
- Do not try and place the tooth back into the socket. Sometimes this can cause underlying damage to the new erupting adult tooth.
- Call and book an appointment with one of our dentist as soon as possible we can assess the tooth socket, soft tissue and the new adult tooth underneath.
Don’t delay with any type of dental emergency. Come visit our team at Hampstead dental, Melbourne today
Give us a call on 03 9071 0085 and we can make a time to see you, and get you the help you need.
FAQ's
Is a loose adult tooth a dental emergency?
If you are an adult, then a loose tooth is an important dental concern and definitely should be treated as a dental emergency. The dentist needs to see the situation immediately and assess the cause of the loose tooth.
Is a wobbly baby tooth a dental emergency?
A loose baby tooth is not such a serious concern and you can monitor this at home. Sometimes it can get painful or even slightly swollen around the baby tooth. Wobbling the tooth at home can help the tooth loosen slowly until it naturally comes out. If the tooth is stubborn or child is not willing to touch the baby tooth, then you can book and appointment for one of our therapists to have a look. Most likely the tooth can be easily removed with anaesthetic.
What is a tooth infection?
An infection of the tooth is called a dental abscess. It is a bacterial infection that is a collection of pus. The bacteria can infect the pulp of the tooth and then spreads inside your tooth and down towards your root. It can also happen in the gums around the outside neck of the tooth. Tooth infections usually occur with poor dental care or lack of proper dental hygiene and cleaning.
How long does a tooth infection last?
A tooth infection does not go away on its own. Many times the pain will continue until you have either started dental treatment, taken antibiotics or the pulp inside the tooth starts to die. In this case the pain stops because the nerve is dead. However, the tooth infection is still present and can spread and cause more damage to surround tissues.
What does a dental abscess look like?
An abscess is a swelling in the gum, mostly looks like a little pimple near the tooth. Sometimes you can see the swelling get bigger sometimes there is a drainage point where the pus is getting released.
Is a broken filling a dental emergency?
Many times a broken filling is not a dental emergency. If you are not feeling any immediate pain, then you can wait and try and keep the area as clean as possible. You will still need to repair the filling, as the area will be an access point for decay and bacteria. If you do have significant dental pain however, then we can treat you as a dental emergency as occasionally a broken filling can be very deep when it exposes the nerve of the tooth.
How long can I go with a broken filling?
It depends of the severity of the broken filling. If it is a small chip, you can wait a few days or a week until you see a dentist. If it is large breakage you will need come in sooner. Best to call your dentist as soon as possible as explain the situation to them.
Is it safe to visit the dentist during this COVID-19 pandemic?
Yes! Australian dental practitioners have your safety as priority. In Australia we have the highest level of infection control in the world. At Hampstead dental we take extra steps and precautions to make sure your safe.
What should I expect if I do come to a dentist during a lockdown period?
You may see the waiting room slightly more empty, or be asked to wait in your car. There is hand sanitiser available as you enter to wash your hands and temperature testing. You may be asked to sign in using the QR codes and enter wearing a fitted facial mask.
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