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.
Our phone number for emergency patients is 020 8748 1381
Toothache and facial pain
Toothache is usually caused by deep decay, abscesses, cracked teeth, infected wisdom teeth, sinusitis or muscle and joint inflammation from tooth grinding. The dentist will do a thorough examination, x-rays and may require other investigations to find the cause of the pain. Once this has been discovered the dentist will be able to 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 and can be caused by trauma (internal bleeding, swelling due to fracture, and joint dislocation), infection or inflammation. Acute swelling in the head and neck area is potentially life threatening and needs immediate attention as it can cause obstruction of the airway, making breathing difficult.
We can manage swelling through the application of ice and the prescribing of anti-inflammatories or anti-biotics. This can mitigate the dangers and discomfort of swelling until we are able to 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 8–12 years of age 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 the reason it has become dislodged.
Fractured dentures
We can have dentures repaired quickly.
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 begin to flare up. No problem is too small in dentistry, and it is always preferable to nip small issues in the bud than to wait until they are emergencies.
If you have a dental emergency, please call us on 020 8748 1381.