Please use this as a guide only - every case is individual and if you are unsure, ring your dental practice for advice or to speak to a dental professional.
You need to go straight to A&E if you have;
Facial swelling affecting your vision, breathing or preventing your mouth opening more than 2 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
Broken tooth
Firstly, wear your nightguard (if you have one), or a whitening tray (with no whitening gel in it) to separate your teeth at night-time. Tooth grinding occurs during times of stress, so as you can imagine, fractured teeth due to grinding or TMJ pain has increased dramatically over the past few weeks.
If your tooth has chipped and is not painful, most likely this will be fine to leave until you see your dentist for a restoration when surgeries are open for routine dentistry again. If the broken tooth is sharp, sensitive or lacerating your tongue, purchase temporary filling material, like toofypegs, at your local chemist. Dry your tooth with a cotton bud 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.
Abscess/swelling
Antibiotics will be required; if the abscess is draining, rinse your mouth regularly with hot salty water. Take painkillers if needed. As above, if the swelling is affecting your breathing, vision or you cannot open you mouth further than 2 finger width, go straight to A and E.
Toothache
Take regular painkillers and rub desensitising toothpaste (sensodyne or colagte prorelief) around the tooth. Maintain excellent oral hygiene with fluoride toothpaste. You may have pulpitis and a dentist may need to extract the tooth or drill into the tooth to remove the pulp (nerve) which is the first stage of root canal treatment. If the tooth already has had root canal treatment; extraction or antibiotics will be required (or re-root canal treatment when endodontic practices are open again).
Lost crown/veneer/bridge
A pharmacy bought dental emergency kit can be used to stick a crown/veneer/bridge back in temporarily. Dry the tooth surface first before recementation. Maintain good oral hygiene and follow a low sugar diet to ensure the tooth underneath does not get decayed. If the tooth has a post (or “peg”), the tooth will have been root canal treated and so will have no nerve in it and will not be painful. In this instance, leave the post and crown out - if you cannot replace it- and your dentist will address it when practices are back up and running.
Wisdom tooth infection
If you have a bad wisdom tooth infection, you will need antibiotics. Take analgesia as required and rinse the area with hot salty water mouthwash.
Lose implant crown
A lose implant crown may remain lose for several weeks. If you dentist cannot see you and the implant crown falls out, keep the implant crown safe and the gum clean by using hot salt water rinses. The gums may grow over the implant and will have to be opened up surgically again in the future. This is a simple procedure if it is necessary, and the crown will be screwed back in again once the gum has healed in the correct position.
Sensitive tooth
Try placing desensitizing toothpaste like sensodyne over the sensitive tooth and do this several times a day. You can also use desensitizing gel like Sensi kin (from Kin). Take regular analgesia as required.
Bleeding gums
Bleeding gums are not a dental emergency. Maintain excellent oral hygiene and brush twice a day for 3 minutes a time. Use floss and a mouthwash like Corsodyl helps short term (long term, it will stain your teeth).
Ulcers
Use bonjela on the area that is painful before meals in particular. Maintain good oral hygiene and take regular pain killers if needed. Rinse with hot salt water and use difflam mouthwash which can be purchased in a pharmacy
Lose or rubbing denture
Consider using a fixative for a lose denture like fixadent. Any sharp points on your denture can be adjusted ay home with an emery board. Leave your denture out if it is too sore to wear
Gum infection
Gum infections (ANUG- acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis) usually occurs during times of stress and in smokers. A hydrogen peroxide mouthwash, Peroxyl, is useful here or hot salty water mouthrinse and antibiotics.
TMJ pain
Avoid chewing gum or opening your mouth too wide. Apply heat to the sore joint e.g. hot water bottle with towel over it . Wear your nightguard if you have one, Do TMJ exercises ( can be found online) and take anti-inflammatory analgesia if you are able to take these ( asthmatics should avoid anti-inflammatories).
