Are you in pain? Do you need an emergency dentist?
Dental emergencies can include toothache, dental injuries like missing teeth, because they've been knocked our during sport. Other dental emergencies can include fractured teeth, facial swelling, or lost fillings.
If you need an urgent appointment for pain or for a dental emergency find your nearest Lumino practice. You can call us or book an urgent appointment online. Many of our practices are open after hours during the week, or on Saturdays, for your convenience. Some of our practices also have dentists on call who you can phone for advice, in an emergency.
Dental injuries
Some dental emergencies are more common than others. Losing a tooth is one of the most common dental emergencies and can often happen in an accident or sporting injury. You could be eating hard food and chip or break a tooth and need emergency dental treatment. It's also common to suffer trauma to your mouth in an accident and need emergency care. Some other common dental injury emergencies include:
- A fractured tooth
- Knocking a tooth through direct impact
- Dental avulsion, or completely losing a tooth
Common emergency symptoms
Dental emergencies can be so painful and inconvenient. They often happen without warning and all of a sudden cause you a lot of stress. In some situations, you might not experience any pain, but you will still need emergency treatment. It’s always important to take notice of any unusual symptoms in your mouth. The most common signs of a dental emergency are:
- Toothache or sudden tooth pain
- Swelling around your jaw or mouth
In any dental emergency, you should book in to see a dentist as soon as possible.
Have questions?
The price of emergency dental treatment will depend on the type of your dental emergency and how difficult it is to treat. In some cases treatment may be rather straightforward and treatment such as a filling may be used to treat the injury. In other situations, more comprehensive treatment may be needed to help treat your dental emergency. Your dentist or specialist will be able to give you an idea of the cost of treatment at your first appointment.
If you're suffering from toothache from a dental injury you should visit a dentist as soon as you can. If you can’t get in to see a dentist immediately after the accident or injury there are ways you can help manage the pain. Using pain relief medication will help to ease the pain. Using cold compresses and ice to bring down the swelling will also help manage pain. If you need book an appointment online simply select emergency as the reason for your appointment.
A lost tooth is one of the more common dental emergencies. If a tooth is knocked out, it can be very distressing, for children and adults. It’s very important to act quickly.
If your child has lost a baby tooth don’t put it back in the socket. This can damage the new permanent tooth underneath.
For adults, recover your tooth but do not touch the tooth at the root. While it may be difficult, make sure to only handle the crown part of your lost tooth to avoid any additional damage. Rinse the tooth using water, milk, or a saline solution to clean it. If you're using saline solution make sure it's sterile. Don't wipe or scrub the tooth, just gently rinse off the root and crown. You can try to put your tooth into the empty socket. At the very least this will help keep the root protected. Hold the tooth in place by gently biting down on medical gauze or soft fabric. The pressure will keep your tooth from moving too much. If reinserting the tooth doesn’t work, place the tooth in a glass of milk or saline solution. Water won't work for preserving your tooth as you go to a dentist or doctor. If you don’t have any milk or saline solution, place the tooth in your mouth between your cheek and gums.
The faster you get to a dentist, the better chance you have of saving your tooth. If a dentist is unavailable, go straight to a hospital emergency room. Make sure to bring your tooth with you so they can try to reinsert it.
Regardless of how damaged the tooth is, you should seek dental advice immediately. Then reposition the tooth if you can, using very light finger pressure, and hold it in place with a moist tissue or gauze. Try to find any broken or chipped away pieces and rinse them with milk to remove any dirt. If you can't find the missing piece of tooth, contact your dentist immediately. Depending on how damaged the tooth is your dentist may be able to repair it.
Not all dental emergencies can be prevented. However you can take measures to prevent injuries to the teeth and mouth. When playing sports, wearing a custom-made mouthguard will prevent the chance of suffering an oral injury. Avoiding really hard foods such as hard lollies and biting ice can prevent injuries. It is also important to never use your teeth to cut items, or open packets - this is why we have scissors.
When you need emergency dental care as the result of bad oral health, there are things you can do. The big one is taking good care of your oral health. That means a combination of at-home dental care and building a great relationship with your dentist.
We recommend daily healthy habits and regular visits to the dentist. For optimum oral health:
- Practice good oral hygiene habits at home including brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day
- Book hygiene visits with an oral hygienist or oral health therapist twice each year
- Book routine exam and x-rays visits with your dentist once each year
The Lumino Dental Plan is a cost-effective way to ensure your oral health is given the priority it deserves. It’s an affordable ongoing subscription plan that keeps you on top of your oral health. We know that when you look after your oral health properly with regular preventative care, you’ll be less likely to need to see a dentist in an emergency. You’re also likely to spend less money at the dentist over time.
We get it. We’re New Zealand’s largest group of dentists so we’ve seen more scared patients than any other dental practice in the country. For most people who are scared about visiting the dentist it’s because they’ve had a bad experience in the past. Relax. Our gentle and compassionate dentists understand how you feel. Whether you’re anxious or worried about experiencing more pain or the potential cost of the treatment, the best thing to do is to let us know how you feel. Making sure you feel comfortable is part of our job.