If you know you require emergency aid, please contact our dentist Liverpool. We see emergency patients within 24 hours of contact and on the same day if you contact us before 9 AM. Let’s talk more generally about emergency dentistry and some temporary measures you can take in the meantime.
What is a dental emergency?
Emergency dentistry can seem pretty obvious when you’re in great discomfort, but you can also have an emergency without uncomfortable symptoms. It can be very easy, particularly for those who have a concern about our dentist Liverpool or dentistry in general, to minimise their symptoms or allow discomfort that started out very minor to seem less impactful than it actually is. In the minds of many of these patients, this is not simply a case of whether or not it is a dental emergency, but rather, whether it is enough of an emergency to overcome deep concerns and distrust of dentistry. This kind of thinking can result in the patient putting off treatment.
With many of the concerns of the pandemic seemingly coming to an end, we hope the travel to our surgery becomes easier for our patients. During the pandemic, there was a lull in emergency dental cases being treated in dental surgeries; this put additional pressure onto A&E departments, which also increased the risk of patients who were already ill contracting COVID-19.
Trauma first-aid
Oral bleeds
The recommended method for stopping bleeding from the mouth is to use a clean piece of cloth, place it in the mouth where the bleed is occurring and bite down firmly. If the bleeding does not stop in less than 20 minutes, immediately seek medical assistance.
Knocked-out teeth
When a tooth is fully knocked out of the jaw, it is referred to as avulsed; this presents the opportunity to re-implant the tooth.
Unfortunately, whether avulsed or not, the majority of knocked-out teeth are broken or chipped; however, attempts can be made by our team to reconstruct tooth fragments using dental cement and other adhesives to try to reassemble the tooth. These reconstructed teeth are significantly weaker than their undamaged counterparts, but it is significantly better than crowning or having to undergo an extraction.
If you do have a knocked-out or chipped tooth, do not clean it or attempt to dry it. Transport it to us in a damp environment, preferably wrapped in a dressing in an airtight box. Do not place it in water but rather milk, as this will keep the nerves alive for longer. Seek out our dentist Liverpool as soon as possible, as time is a critical factor in the successful replantation of the tooth.
Pain management
Often, even with emergency appointments, there can be a 24-hour or longer wait before being seen. When you’re in great discomfort, this has to be addressed. Over-the-counter options like paracetamol are useful here, but they often have limited utility.
If you have an abscess, you can apply clove oil to the area with cotton wool; this will numb the area until you can see our team for your emergency appointment.