Go to hospital, not to us, if you have
Difficulty breathing or swallowing; swelling spreading to the eye or down the neck; a high fever with facial swelling; or an injury involving heavy bleeding or a suspected broken jaw. These need a hospital emergency department immediately. Everything else below, we can help with.
What counts as a dental emergency
- Severe toothache, particularly pain that keeps you awake
- Facial or gum swelling
- A knocked-out, broken or loosened tooth
- Bleeding that will not stop after an extraction
- A lost filling or crown leaving a sharp or painful edge
- An abscess — a painful swelling that may discharge a bad taste
- Something stuck under the gum, or a broken denture you cannot manage without
What to do before you reach us
A knocked-out adult tooth
Time is critical — the sooner it is back in the socket, the better the chance of saving it.
- Pick the tooth up by the crown (the biting part). Never touch the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Do not scrub it, and do not use soap or disinfectant.
- If you can, place it straight back into the socket the right way round and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If you cannot reinsert it, keep it in milk, or in the patient's own saliva by holding it inside the cheek. Do not let it dry out. Do not store it in water.
- Call us immediately.
A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back, as doing so can damage the developing adult tooth underneath. Still call us.
Toothache
Take your usual over-the-counter painkiller at the normal dose, following the packet and anything your doctor has told you. Rinse with warm salt water. A cold compress against the cheek can help. Do not place aspirin directly against the gum — it burns the tissue rather than relieving pain.
A broken or chipped tooth
Rinse with warm water and keep any pieces. Use a cold compress for swelling. If the edge is sharp, dental wax or sugar-free gum can cover it temporarily until you reach us.
Bleeding after an extraction
Roll a clean gauze or cloth into a pad, place it over the socket, and bite down firmly for a full hour without checking it every few minutes — repeated checking restarts the bleeding. Stay upright. If it is still bleeding heavily after that, call us.
A lost filling or crown
Keep the crown if you have it and bring it with you; it can often be recemented. Avoid chewing on that side. Do not use household glue.
Out of hours
The clinic is open Monday to Friday 08:00–17:00 and Saturday 08:00–14:00, and 08:00–13:00 on most public holidays. We also offer weekend appointments and after-hours support for emergencies. Call the number above and we will tell you what to do next and when we can see you.
Why not just wait?
Dental infections do not resolve on their own. Pain that settles by itself often means the nerve has died, not that the problem has gone — the infection is usually still spreading into the bone. Early treatment is nearly always simpler, cheaper and more likely to save the tooth.