Dental Emergencies
A dental emergency can be alarming on the best of days and certainly have a tendency to happen when it’s least convenient. Here are a few tips in the event of a dental emergency which will help until you can visit one of our practices:
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DentalWhat Is Deemed A Dental Emergency?
You need to go straight to A&E if you have;
- Facial swelling affecting your vision, breathing or preventing your mouth from opening more than two finger width
- Trauma causing loss of consciousness, double vision or vomiting
You need urgent dental treatment and to call your dentist if you have;
- Facial swelling or abscess
- Bleeding after an extraction that does not stop after 20 mins of solid pressure with a gauze
- Bleeding due to trauma
- Severely broken tooth
- Toothache that is preventing sleep/eating combined with swelling/fever
- Severe wisdom tooth infection/gum infection
Non-urgent dental emergencies include;
- Loose or lost crown/bridge/implant crown or veneer
- Broken, rubbing or loose denture
- Bleeding gums
- Broken, loose or lost filling
- Chipped tooth with no pain
- Gum infection
- Loose orthodontic wire
- TMJ pain
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are experiencing a toothache, it is best to rinse the mouth with warm water first to clean it out thoroughly. Use desensitizing toothpaste and gently use some dental floss to remove stubborn food or debris between the teeth.
If the pain persists, a suitable over-the-counter pain relief remedy can help to ease discomfort, as recommended by your pharmacist.
Contact your local out-of-hours dentist or local GP if the pain relief does not subsidise your pain or if mild swelling occurs.
In cases of extreme swelling which affects the airways or swelling combined with a raised temperature, please get in touch with your local emergency department.
Retrieve the lost tooth and call your local emergency dentist or emergency dept straight away to arrange an emergency dental appointment. You should hold the tooth by the crown and avoid touching the root.
Place the tooth in milk, or carry it in your mouth between your teeth and the inside of your cheek. If stored correctly, and the tooth that has been knocked out is an adult tooth, there is a chance that the tooth can be replanted in the gum. Do not store the tooth in regular tap water or mineral water.
When a tooth is knocked out, or you experience dental trauma, look immediately for any symptoms of severe head injury such as bleeding from the nose or ears. It is also essential to check the tongue, cheek or jaw for lacerations. If any of these symptoms are present, call 112 or 999 immediately.
If you chip a tooth and the the broken tooth is sharp, sensitive or lacerating your tongue, purchase temporary filling material at your local pharmacist. Dry your tooth with a cotton but and place the filling material over the surface that is exposed. Take regular painkillers if you need them. Maintain good oral hygiene and a low sugar diet to prevent any decay from occurring or existing decay from getting worse. If you have a nightguard, make sure you wear it at night time to separate your teeth and to help ensure your tooth does not break any further during the night.
Useful Emergency Contact Details:
- Dublin Dental Hospital: (01) 6127391
- VHI SwiftCare Dundrum: (01) 4482450
- St James’s Hospital A&E: (01) 4103000
- Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, Co. Meath: (046) 9078770
- NEDOC, Navan, Co. Meath: (046) 6850750
- Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore: (057) 932 1501
- Wexford General Hospital: (053) 9153000
- Caredoc (South East & South Wicklow): 0818 300 365 or (059) 913 8100
- Luke’s General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny: (056) 7785000
- Midoc: 1850 302 702
- Cork University Dental School & Hospital: (021) 4901100
- University Hospital Limerick: (061) 301 111
- Midoc: 1850 302 702
- University College Galway: (091) 524222
- Sligo University Hospital: 071 9171111
- Caredoc Sligo: 0818 365 399
- Westdoc: 1850 365 000
- Caredoc (West Cavan): 0818 365 399
