A dental emergency can occur at any time, often outside of the standard dental office hours. At Advent Dental we provide an emergency dental service by appointment only available Monday to Friday. Out of hours and weekend cover is provided for Advent Patients at our sister surgery, Sharrow Dental on Moulsham Street. The Dentist’s at Advent also work at Sharrow for weekend emergency cover.
Our same day service means that our qualified, friendly dentists can help treat your emergency dental problems quickly and effectively whether it’s a lost tooth, broken crown or a swollen face.
You will be in safe hands with our experienced dentists who work to ensure that your issues are swiftly resolved, allowing you to heal quicker and help avoid any potential future dental problems as a result of your condition.
Please note that we do not provide routine NHS and Private appointments (check-ups and treatments) at weekends.
Severe tooth pain or dental trauma from an accident or injury can be extremely painful and frightening. It is important that you seek help from a dental professional immediately to give your dentist the best chance of quickly and effectively resolving the problem.
What qualifies as a dental emergency?
Not all types of dental pain or conditions will constitute as a dental emergency.
If you suffer from any of the following, then these would likely fall under the category of requiring an urgent appointment:
Trauma to the face resulting in broken teeth
Severe toothache with radiating pain to eyes, ears, throat
Painful swelling or abscesses with temperature
Following a dental procedure – persistent / increasing pain, bleeding or swelling
Broken tooth accompanied by toothache
Lost filling/crown on a front tooth or with associated pain or sensitivity
Spontaneous and non-stop bleeding from gums or other parts of the mouth
Intense dental pain uncontrollable with painkillers that keeps you awake at night
Trauma – a blow to the lips, teeth or other orofacial tissues (without loss of consciousness or other injuries that go beyond what a dentist can offer)
Wisdom tooth pain
Open or closed jaw lock
If your condition does not fall under any of these categories, then please call our reception within our standard opening hours to schedule a regular check-up or appointment.
What is not classed as a dental emergency?
The following do not qualify as emergencies but will be treated as urgent appointments:
Lost or loose Crowns with no associated pain or sensitivity
Broken Dentures
Broken fillings or teeth with some or little sensitivity
Bleeding from the gum
Only go to A&E in serious circumstances such as intense pain, facial swelling and heavy bleeding or for severe injuries to the facial bones, mouth or teeth.
If you are not sure whether your problems require you to visit A&E then contact NHS 111, who will be able to best advise you on what to do.
First steps in a dental emergency?
It can be worrying when you experience a sudden dental trauma or severe mouth or tooth related pain. Here are some important tips for what to do in a dental emergency;
Knocked out teeth
If you have a tooth knocked out, try to find it and call immediately. If re-implanted within a short space of time, there is a good chance that it will take depending on the severity of the injury. If the root and tooth is intact your dentist may be able to talk you through how to place it back in the mouth until you get to your appointment.
It is important to avoid handling the root at all and to keep the tooth clean.
Chips and breakages
Most small cracks and breakages can be rectified during regular dental appointments. If a tooth suffers a severe crack or break due to trauma then you may need an emergency filling, implant, crown or tooth extraction.
If you have a chipped tooth, then your dentist may be able to smooth down the uneven edge and replace the missing part with a tooth-coloured filling. If you break a back molar then this may have to be replaced with a crown.
Painful swelling
Don’t ignore painful swelling around your face, teeth and gums. This can be due to anything from a serious dental infection such as infected gums, teeth or bones as well as gum or tooth abscesses some of which will need immediate treatment.
Some dental infections can be extremely serious so don’t wait – book an emergency appointment straight away. In the meantime stay upright and do not lay flat, even to sleep and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
How to book an emergency appointment
If you are suffering from one of the listed emergency conditions and are in need of urgent dental treatment, then please call the Advent Dental Team on – 01245 496791.