With many dental practices throughout the UK, you are able to rest reassured that your oral health concerns can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. So, when it comes to emergency dentistry it is so important to know that there is somebody there on hand to help when you have a crisis.

When you experience any sort of severe dental discomfort it is better treated sooner rather than later as complications can arise if left untreated.  

Have you experienced something such as excessive bleeding or excessive swelling? Perhaps you feel like your tooth has cracked after biting into a hard piece of food unexpectedly.  Do not ignore this because you may not realise that the situation could become worse.

No matter what has happened, if you have accidentally broken a tooth you do need immediate treatment.

If any of the above apply to you, contact your local dentist straight away.  There are experienced teams on hand to provide you with the reassurance required during your emergency visit.

What is an actual dental emergency?

If you start getting acute pain when it gets beyond a certain point that it feels no longer bearable, or if you have excessive bleeding or swelling contact an emergency dentist.

There are also other times when you can experience difficulties for example, if you’re at a family meal, and you have to stop whilst eating because of a tooth that has been causing you severe pain.

If a filling becomes cracked or chipped, or perhaps if you’re a more active person, and experience a sporting injury that perhaps makes you lose your tooth or a number of teeth, these can all be emergency dental situations.

If you are unfortunate enough to lose a tooth for whatever reason the best policy, after phoning a dentist to see if they can fit you in for an emergency appointment, is to retrieve your tooth.  Hold it by the crown not the delicate root.  If it isn’t dirty you can reinsert it yourself and then get it checked by a professional. Otherwise store it in milk (not water) until you can get to a dental practice.  Any reputable practice will give you the appropriate advice over the phone to save your tooth until you can get to them.  If they can they will treat you on the same day, if not, they will provide pain relief until such time as they can provide any possible extensive treatment.

Try to find a dental practice that accepts emergency appointments on the same day, if in doubt just get checked out.

It is always better to treat an emergency as soon as it has happened rather than leaving it to become

worse.  This could lead to further damage or infection and will only increase the time of healing the injury will need. If you want to visit a dental practice for an emergency situation, there are many options, but  ensure that you do not delay going to get checked out as you could increase the negative effects of infection and your overall general health could also be affected.