What Should I Do If I Have a Dental Emergency?

What Should I Do If I Have a Dental Emergency?

Dental emergencies are frightening and painful. Whether you’ve knocked out a tooth, broken a tooth, or you’re experiencing sudden severe pain, knowing what to do immediately can make the difference between saving and losing a tooth.

At A1 Dental Surgery in Canterbury, we provide same-day emergency dental appointments for patients across East Kent. We understand that dental emergencies don’t wait for convenient times.

The most important thing to remember during a dental emergency is: stay calm and call your dentist immediately. Most dental emergencies can be treated successfully if you act quickly and appropriately.

In this guide, we’ll explain what constitutes a dental emergency, immediate steps for common emergencies, when to go to A&E instead of a dentist, and how to get emergency dental care in Canterbury.

What Counts as a Dental Emergency?

True dental emergencies require immediate professional attention:

Knocked Out Tooth

A permanent tooth completely knocked out is a serious emergency. If you act within 30-60 minutes, the tooth might be saved and replanted.

Severe Toothache

Unbearable pain that prevents sleep, eating, or normal activities indicates serious infection or inflammation requiring urgent treatment.

Broken or Fractured Tooth

A tooth broken with sharp edges, exposed pulp, or causing severe pain needs immediate attention to prevent further damage and infection.

Abscess or Facial Swelling

Swelling in your gums, face, or neck accompanied by pain, fever, or difficulty swallowing indicates serious infection that can spread if untreated.

Uncontrolled Bleeding

Bleeding from gums or mouth that doesn’t stop with gentle pressure within 10-15 minutes requires emergency care.

Lost Filling or Crown

While not always painful, a lost filling or crown exposes sensitive tooth structure and needs prompt replacement to prevent damage.

Object Stuck Between Teeth

Anything stuck between teeth that you can’t remove with gentle flossing might damage gums or teeth and needs professional removal.

Jaw Injury or Dislocation

Injury causing difficulty opening or closing your mouth, severe pain, or visible jaw misalignment requires immediate attention.

What to Do: Common Dental Emergencies

Here’s what to do immediately for specific emergencies:

Knocked Out Permanent Tooth

Do this immediately:

1. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (white part), never touching the root.
   
2. Rinse gently if the tooth is dirty. Use only water or milk. Don’t scrub or remove any attached tissue.
   
3. Reinsert if possible. Try gently placing the tooth back in its socket. Hold it in place by biting gently on clean gauze.
   
4. If you can’t reinsert: Keep the tooth moist by placing it in:
   
   • A glass of milk (best option)
   • Between your cheek and gum
   • Special tooth preservation solution (if available)
   • Saliva (spit in a container and place tooth in it)
5. Never store in water. Water damages root cells.
   
6. Call A1 Dental Surgery immediately: 01227 765 851. Every minute counts. Teeth successfully replanted within 30 minutes have the best chance of survival.
   

What we’ll do: We’ll rinse the socket, reposition the tooth, and splint it to adjacent teeth for 1-2 weeks while it reintegrates.

Severe Toothache

Immediate actions:

1. Rinse your mouth with warm salt water (1 teaspoon salt in a cup of warm water).
   
2. Floss gently to remove any trapped food causing pressure.
   
3. Take over-the-counter pain relief: Paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed. Don’t place aspirin directly on gums (this burns tissue).
   
4. Apply cold compress to outside of cheek for 20 minutes to reduce swelling.
   
5. Call for emergency appointment: Severe toothache indicates infection or inflammation that won’t resolve without treatment.
   

Never: Use heat, which can worsen infection. Don’t delay seeking care hoping pain will subside.

What we’ll do: Examine the tooth, take x-rays if needed, and provide treatment (root canal, filling, or antibiotics) to eliminate infection and pain.

Broken or Chipped Tooth

Immediate actions:

1. Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area.
   
2. Save broken pieces if you can find them. Bring them to your appointment.
   
3. Control bleeding by applying gauze for 10 minutes.
   
4. Protect sharp edges with dental wax, sugar-free gum, or a wet tea bag temporarily.
   
5. Take pain relief if needed.
   
6. Apply cold compress to reduce swelling.
   
7. Call for appointment: Same day for large breaks with pain or exposed pulp. Within 24-48 hours for small chips.
   

What we’ll do: Smooth sharp edges, place a filling or crown, or perform root canal if pulp is exposed.

Dental Abscess or Swelling

Immediate actions:

1. Call us immediately: Abscesses are serious infections that can spread.
   
2. Rinse with salt water several times daily.
   
3. Take pain relief: Paracetamol or ibuprofen as directed.
   
4. Apply cold compress to reduce swelling and pain.
   
5. Sleep propped up to reduce pressure and swelling.
   
6. Stay hydrated and eat soft foods.
   

Never: Try to drain the abscess yourself. This can spread infection.

When to go to A&E instead:

• Swelling spreading to eye, throat, or neck
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Fever over 38.5°C
• Severe illness

What we’ll do: Drain the abscess, prescribe antibiotics, and treat the underlying cause (root canal or extraction).

Lost Filling or Crown

Immediate actions:

1. Save the crown if it came off intact.
   
2. Keep the area clean by rinsing with warm salt water.
   
3. Temporary re-attachment: You can temporarily refit a crown using dental cement from a pharmacy or a dab of toothpaste. Don’t use super glue.
   
4. Avoid chewing on that side until repaired.
   
5. Call for appointment within 24-48 hours. Lost restorations aren’t always emergencies but need prompt replacement.
   

What we’ll do: Clean the tooth and crown, and re-cement permanently. If the crown doesn’t fit anymore, we’ll make a new one.

Bleeding That Won’t Stop

Immediate actions:

1. Rinse gently with cold water to assess where bleeding originates.
   
2. Apply pressure with clean gauze or a damp tea bag for 10-15 minutes.
   
3. Elevate your head while applying pressure.
   
4. Apply cold compress to outside of cheek.
   
5. If bleeding continues after 15 minutes: Call us immediately or go to A&E.
   
6. If bleeding stops: Still call for an appointment to identify and treat the cause.
   

What we’ll do: Identify the bleeding source, clean the area, and provide stitches if needed.

When to Go to A&E Instead of the Dentist

Some situations require hospital emergency department care:

Go to A&E for:

• Jaw fracture or dislocation from trauma
• Facial swelling affecting breathing or swallowing
• Uncontrolled bleeding after 20 minutes of pressure
• Severe facial trauma
• Unconsciousness or head injury with dental trauma

Call 999 immediately if:

• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Severe bleeding
• Suspected jaw fracture with breathing difficulty

For most dental emergencies without these complications, call your dentist first.

How to Get Emergency Dental Care in Canterbury

During Surgery Hours (Monday-Friday)

Call A1 Dental Surgery immediately: 01227 765 851

We reserve time slots for emergency patients and see emergencies the same day whenever possible.

We’re open:

• Monday-Friday: Standard surgery hours
• Located at 52 London Road, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8LF

Evening, Weekend, or Bank Holiday Emergencies

If you experience a dental emergency outside our regular hours:

1. Call our main number (01227 765 851). Our voicemail provides emergency contact information.
   
2. NHS 111 Service: Call 111 and select the dental emergency option. They’ll direct you to the nearest emergency dental service.
   
3. A&E for severe cases: If you have breathing difficulty, severe facial trauma, or uncontrolled bleeding, go to A&E.
   

For Visitors or Non-Registered Patients

You don’t need to be a registered patient to receive emergency dental care at A1 Dental Surgery. We welcome emergency patients from across Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Deal, Dover, Faversham, and wider Kent.

Emergency fees apply for non-registered patients, which we’ll explain when you call.

What to Expect at Your Emergency Appointment

When you arrive for emergency dental care:

Assessment: We’ll examine the affected area, assess damage, and take x-rays if needed.

Pain relief: We provide immediate pain relief through treatment or prescription.

Emergency treatment: We perform necessary treatment to address the immediate problem (reposition knocked out tooth, drain abscess, place temporary filling).

Follow-up plan: Some emergencies require additional appointments for complete treatment (crowns, root canals, permanent fillings).

Costs: We’ll explain all costs upfront. Emergency treatment costs vary based on the procedure required.

Preventing Dental Emergencies

While you can’t prevent all emergencies, these steps reduce risk:

Wear mouthguards for contact sports and activities.

Don’t use teeth as tools to open packages, crack nuts, or hold objects.

Avoid chewing hard items like ice, hard sweets, or popcorn kernels.

Maintain good oral hygiene to prevent decay and infections.

Attend regular check-ups so small problems are fixed before becoming emergencies.

Address grinding with a night guard if you clench or grind teeth.

Child-proof your home to prevent young children falling and injuring teeth.

Emergency Dental Kit for Your Home

Keep these items readily available:

• Dentist’s emergency contact number saved in phone
• Dental wax (for covering sharp edges)
• Temporary dental cement (from pharmacy)
• Gauze pads
• Cold packs
• Paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Salt (for rinses)
• Small container with lid (for storing knocked out tooth)
• Dental floss
• Small torch (to examine mouth)

Get Emergency Dental Care Now

If you’re experiencing a dental emergency in Canterbury or East Kent, don’t wait. Call A1 Dental Surgery immediately on 01227 765 851.

We provide same-day emergency appointments and will guide you through what to do while you’re on your way to the surgery.

Located at 52 London Road, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8LF, we serve emergency patients from Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham, Deal, Dover, Ashford, and across Kent.

For severe emergencies outside surgery hours, call NHS 111 or attend A&E if breathing is affected.