Dental Emergency

Dental pain for many is probably the worst thing they can imagine.

It could have devastating impact on your everyday activities affecting abilities to be productive in work, enjoy food and could also keep you awake overnight. All of the above inevitably reduces the quality of life and therefore requires urgent dental help.

What is actually classed as a dental emergency?

Dental emergency is a severe and continuous pain that is not affected by any painkillers, spreading facial swelling , cracked or knocked out tooth, persistent bleeding following tooth removal or soft tissue injury.

What can you do to help yourself with dental emergencies?

1. If you have a broken tooth:

• Rinse with antiseptic mouthwash or lukewarm salty water and try to apply an over-the-counter temporary filling until you get to see your dentist
• Take Paracetamol if you experience pain

2. If you have swelling:

• Apply cold compress
• Take Paracetamol or other painkiller
• Rinse with warm water and rub numbing gel into the area next to the culprit
• Book an appointment with your dentist urgently

3. If your tooth has been knocked out:

• Do not touch the root of the tooth with your fingers
• Try and place the tooth back in the its socket and bite down, but if you struggle to do so just put it in a cup of milk or directly in your mouth (between gums and cheek) in order to keep it moist

4. Continuous bleeding after tooth extraction:

• Rinse with water
• Apply clean pack over the socket and bite firmly for at least 20 minutes
• Call your dentist or go to A&E if bleeding is still uncontrolled

What will the dentist do when you attend an emergency appointment?

• You may need to have the causative tooth removed
• You may need to have root canal treatment which could save your tooth

This usually requires a couple of appointments after the emergency visit and involves taking the inflamed or infected tooth nerve out of the tooth, shaping and widening of the root canal in the tooth root, followed by placement of root sealer and then normal tooth filling

• In some cases your dentist may have to cut into the abscess in order to release the pressure built up as well as to give the pus collected under the skin a way out

Note! All of the above treatments are done under local anaesthetic so that you not to feel any pain.

What can I do to avoid dental emergencies?

• Attend at least twice a year for routine check-ups
• Maintain excellent oral hygiene at home
• Reduce sugar content in your everyday diet

At Irby Dental Practice we are passionate about taking care of our patients and being there for them at the moment when they most need us and we have dedicated slots for emergency appointments every day.

If you want to arrange an emergency dental appointment please do not hesitate to call 0151 648 1974 and we will be more than happy to help.