Emergencies
At 92 Dental, we are happy to see patients at short notice should a dental issue flare up or should an unknown problem cause extreme discomfort. How we treat emergency patients usually depends on the type of symptoms that they have.
Toothache and facial pain
Deep decay, abscesses, cracked teeth, infected wisdom teeth, sinusitis or muscle and joint inflammation from tooth grinding usually cause toothache. The dentist will do a thorough examination and x-rays and may require other investigations to find the cause of the pain. Once this has been discovered, the dentist can manage the problem appropriately and resolve the pain. Often, painkillers and antibiotics are prescribed to manage pain until the appropriate treatment can be performed.
Facial swelling
A swelling may arise in the mouth or externally around the face, jaws and neck. It can be caused by trauma (internal bleeding, swelling due to fracture, joint dislocation), infection or inflammation. Acute swelling in the head and neck area is potentially life-threatening and needs immediate attention as it can obstruct the airway, making breathing difficult.
We can manage swelling through the application of ice and the prescribing of anti-inflammatories or antibiotics. This can mitigate the dangers and discomfort of swelling until we can treat its underlying cause.
Facial swelling after a dental surgical procedure is not unusual and is rarely a cause for concern. We often prescribe anti-inflammatories after dental surgery to reduce such swelling.
Dental trauma
Dental trauma refers to an injury to the hard or soft tissues of the oral cavity and face. This includes the teeth and surrounding tissues: tongue, lips and cheeks. It is more prevalent in children between 8 and 12 but can happen to anyone. If a tooth is dislodged due to trauma, the outlook for the tooth is worse the longer it is out of the mouth. Should a tooth or even a bit of a tooth become dislodged, wash the tooth gently, store it in milk and contact us immediately, as it can sometimes be successfully replaced in its position.
Broken teeth
Through wear and tear, teeth can become damaged. Early intervention can save the teeth and restore their natural appearance.
Lost crowns
We can usually re-cement a crown depending on why it has become dislodged.
Fractured dentures
After hour emergency service
For out-of-hours emergency service, please call 111 or leave us a message, and we will attend to your needs as soon as possible.
Although we are happy to take emergency patients, we do our best work when not under time pressure. Because of this, we urge all our patients to contact us as soon as issues flare up. No problem is too small in dentistry, and it is always preferable to nip minor issues in the bud than to wait until they are emergencies.