Need Urgent Dental Help?
If you have an emergency during normal office hours simply call the dental office you are registered at and let them know what happened. They should be able to get you in for treatment that day. If you happen to need treatment by a dentist and it is after hours, you need to call your regular dentist’s office and obtain the emergency phone number. This is usually left on the recorder.
If you are not registered at a dental office or you are on a holiday, you can call NHS Direct and obtain the phone number of the nearest local dentist. You may want to get the number for two NHS dentists just to make sure you will be able to get into one of them. You can contact your Primary Care Trust (PCT) or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
You might have more luck getting into a private dentist more quickly. This is a good option if you have dental insurance. It is also a good option if you are willing to pay the expense of a private dentist so that you don’t have to wait a long time in a waiting room.
Below are some treatments that you can use at home in the case that you cannot get into a dentist immediately. Remember that these are just suggestions and should not replace your dentist’s advice. You should always call your dentist first in an emergency.
For a Toothache
Try taking some over the counter medication, for the pain. You might want to use something like ibuprofen to help take care of any swelling that may occur. Try using warm water to rinse the area. This will help to loosen any food that may be trapped in the tooth.
Clove oil can help to numb the area and kill any bacteria around the area. You might also try a warm salt water rinse to alleviate some of the pain.
Whatever you decide to do, do not rub aspirin on your gums. There are many old wives tales about doing this to help a tooth ache, these are myths. While topical pain relievers that are marketed for oral use are okay, aspirin placed directly in the mouth or on the gums can damage the gum tissue.
If you have lost a filling or broken a tooth, you can get some temporary filling material at your local drug store. Ask at the pharmacy where to find this material. If you have a cap that has fallen off, you can get a temporary oral cement to place the cap back on until you can get to your dentist.
Trauma to the Mouth
If you have some sort of trauma to the mouth that causes a tooth to dislodge, you need to seek dental treatment immediately. In the mean time, take the tooth and put it in a cup of milk. Rinse the area well and remove pieces of tooth that are left in the mouth. It is very important that you seek emergency dental treatment as quickly as possible.
If you break a tooth you still need to seek emergency dental treatment. If this is not possible you can use a temporary filling material, as mentioned above, to seal the tooth off. If you have the piece of the tooth that broke off, you can take it to the dentist with you and see if it is repairable.
Dental injuries can be very painful. It is helpful to have a friend or a family member nearby to make phone calls for you. This is especially useful if you have had some trauma to the mouth. If you are alone, try not to panic. Get help from a neighbor if you can and call a dentist immediately.
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