Emergency Dental

At Southside Dental Group, we strongly believe that if you are in pain, it’s an emergency. A small injury to your mouth may seem insignificant at the time, however can damage the nerve of the teeth leading to a poor outcome and possible loss of the tooth. Improve the chances of saving the damaged tooth by seeking immediate treatment.

Below we have got some general advice about what to do in the event of various tooth complaints. Please note that if you have any of the below, you must get dental advice and care as soon as possible to avoid damage and longer-term problems.

Toothache

Rinse your mouth with warm water to ensure that your mouth is clean. You must apply a cold compress if there is swelling in your mouth – do not use heat. Do not place aspirin on the gum or tooth, you may take over the counter pain medication. Seek emergency dentist treatment as soon as possible.

Knocked out tooth

Immediate action is required to save an adult tooth which has been knocked out. First of all, remain calm and find the tooth. Handle the top of the tooth only – never hold it by the roots. Don’t scrape or remove any tissue from the tooth. Make sure the tooth is clean. Be sure to give it a quick rinse in milk if it is dirty. The tooth can be gently sucked on – but this is not recommended for young children or for adults who are in shock or not calm. Replant the tooth in the mouth immediately and hold the tooth in place. Keep the tooth moist in milk or in the owner’s mouth next to the cheek, if it cannot be replanted immediately. Seek an emergency dentist treatment IMMEDIATELY, whatever you do, don’t let the tooth dry out.

If a baby tooth has been knocked out, do not attempt to replant it, as you may damage the developing adult tooth. Seek dental treatment so that any damage can be assessed.

Chips, cracks and fractures

You must seek emergency dentist treatment as soon as possible, if a tooth has been chipped, cracked or fractured. You don’t need to panic if the chip or fracture is minimal and you have no soft tissue damage You do however need to get dental treatment as soon as possible, as the treatment you get depends on the severity of the damage.

Look for any sign of pinkness in the circumstance where there is extensive damage to your tooth, as it indicates that the nerve is exposed. You must seek emergency dental care if the nerve is exposed. If you wait to seek treatment, your tooth may not be able to be saved.

Abscesses and swelling in the mouth

A dental abscess indicates you have a pus-filled swelling which is caused by an infection inside a tooth, infection of the gums or potentially from trauma to a tooth or teeth. An abscess may be painful, can cause facial swelling, and in severe cases can cause other infection and may be life-threatening. Make sure you seek treatment from your dentist in the event of an abscess or facial swelling. Use a cold compress, and seek dental treatment – an abscess will not heal itself and cannot be fixed by antibiotics.

Emergency denture treatment

Damaged or broken dentures need to be fixed as soon as possible so that you can return to optimal function and teeth use.

A call out fee of $250 is applicable for after hours callouts.