Dental Emergencies

Here at Life Dental & Wellbeing, we do offer fast, affordable emergency dental appointments, because we know how important it is to get professional treatment when you're in pain. In the time until your appointment, there are some steps you can take to alleviate the pain you might be feeling and address the most serious aspects of your dental emergency.

What is considered a dental emergency?

A dental ‘emergency’ is any problem with the tooth, gums, and sometimes jaw that requires immediate attention to prevent a worsening issue.

Many dental issues can be painful and hard to manage but are not medically considered to be an emergency.

This article will highlight these two types of issue and suggest some at-home tips to help in either case.

Dental Emergencies and how to treat them:

Severe soft tissue injury

Injuries to the cheeks, tongue, gums or lips are classed as ‘soft tissue injuries’. If the damage or bleeding is severe then it will need to be quickly assessed.

The following steps will help to control any bleeding until you can see a dentist or get to the hospital.

Rinse your mouth with salt water, ½ teaspoon in a standard sized cup is sufficient.

Next, use a moistened piece of gauze, or indeed a caffeinated tea bag to the area of bleeding, and keep this in place for 15 to 20 minutes. (Tea bags contain tannic acid which naturally shrinks blood vessels and will slow the bleeding down).

Then, hold a cold flannel to the outside of your face in the problem area for between 5 and 10 minutes.

If the area is still bleeding, and your dentist is not immediately available, then go straight to a hospital A & E department.

In the meantime, if the bleeding subsides and the injury is only small, monitor for a time to see that it doesn’t worsen.

Small cuts and sores that heal by themselves will not need to be seen by a dentist.

Badly cracked teeth

In the case of teeth that have been cracked, ensure to rinse any pieces of the tooth you may still have. Next rinse your mouth with warm water.

Apply gauze to any areas of bleeding for around 10 minutes or until you are satisfied the bleeding has fully stopped.

Then apply a cold flannel to the outside of your face in the affected area, this will relieve pain and reduce potential swelling.

Knocked-out teeth

Firstly, retrieve the tooth, picking it up by the crown (the part you can see above the gums).

Rinse the tooth root with water but do not scrub or remove any attached tissue.

If you can, try to put the tooth back into its socket ensuring that it is facing the right way, but never force it into place!

If this isn't possible, place each tooth into a small tub of milk, or even water with ½ teaspoon of salt as a secondary choice.

There are also products specifically designed to preserve the life of a knocked-out tooth should you wish to take this precautionary step.

You must then contact your emergency dentist immediately (teeth have a much better chance of survival if they can be re-attached within an hour).

Partially dislodged teeth

If the tooth has not fully come out, see your dentist as a matter of urgency, until the appointment, apply a cold flannel and take pain relief.

Dental abscesses

A dental abscess when dealt with swiftly can be a small issue, if left however it can become very serious and even in rare cases spread to other parts of the body such as your neck and lungs and become potentially fatal.

Though this is rare, it can and does happen and all abscesses should be viewed like any other emergency and dealt with as fast as possible.

Abscesses begin as small swollen areas which are infections around the root of the tooth.

These infections can spread very quickly and if left untreated for even a day can become dangerous. If you are unable to get an emergency dental appointment, go immediately to your local hospital, do not wait.

In the meantime, rinsing with salt water can draw out some of the pus and ease any pain.

Lost or broken dental restoration

Dental ‘restorations’ include fillings, crowns and bridges. If any of these falls out or breaks, it can cause significant pain and expose the area to infection and further complications.

In the case of a filling falling out or breaking, dental cement is an ideal solution to put in the space, at a pinch any sugarless gum will also do the same job.

Though both of these will manage the issue, it is still important to have it looked at as soon as possible.

In the case of a broken crown or bridge, make a dentist appointment as soon as you can and take any pieces you have with you to the visit.

If possible, coat the restoration with dental cement, toothpaste or a denture adhesive and put the restoration as much as you can back into place.

NEVER use glue!

Non-Emergency dental issues

As well as the above dental emergencies, there are other issues that while not considered ‘emergencies’ still require strict attention.

These include:

• Minor toothaches

• Broken braces

• Minor tooth chips

Managing the symptoms

Dull Toothache

Rinse your mouth with warm water as a first step, then floss in between all the gaps to remove any food debris that may be stuck.

Take pain relief but NEVER place aspirin onto the gums directly!

Call your dentist to make an appointment.

Broken Braces

If you have a broken wire that is causing pain, it can be gently bent back into place, this should be done with a blunt object like an eraser, and covered with orthodontic wax until you can see a dentist.

Small chip or crack in your tooth: If there are any sharp edges that irritate your tongue or cheeks, cover the area with orthodontic wax, and see a dentist as soon as you can.

While the above steps can better aid successful outcomes, there is no substitute for a professional opinion, in all cases please ensure to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can to get an urgent and more case-based appraisal.

If you need an emergency dental appointment, please don't hesitate to call our reception on 01392 278843

Rebekah Pearson

03 Feb 2025