Dental emergencies fall broadly into three categories. All need to be seen promptly.
Infected teeth: There is nothing quite like pain from an infected tooth. It is an itch you cannot scratch. It will begin to interrupt sleep and may become unresponsive to pain killers. While some can be initially treated with antibiotics, many infected teeth will not respond to antibiotics alone and will need treatment by a dentist.
Cracked teeth and broken fillings/crowns:Commonly discovered whilst eating, this category ranges from small enamel chips through to the crown on your front tooth coming off the day before your 50th birthday party. They can be accompanied by some degree of pain.
While small chips require nothing more than to have sharp edges smoothed, all require assessment to ensure the situation does not worsen. In many cases, crowns can be recemented.
Trauma injuriesTeeth trauma can occur from playing sport but also from everyday accidents around the home. Injuries to teeth especially seems to afflict little ones as they're developing co-ordination.
Following a traumatic injury that affects the mouth it is important to quickly see the dentist for assessment and treatment to minimise damage to the teeth and jaws.
Call us if you have a dental emergency – we will try our best to see you on the same day.