Dental Emergencies

1300 NO GAP (1300 0 66 427)

Dental emergencies can happen and when they do it is best to be prepared – Knowing who to contact, how to identify pain and where to go. The best person to contact in a dental emergency is a dentist, however out of hours emergencies will require a different approach. It is important to remember that seeing a dentist within 30 minutes or less can mean the difference between saving or losing your tooth.

Is Your Emergency Urgent?

If in doubt it is safer to assume trauma to the mouth is an emergency. Though there are certain situations where dental emergencies can wait to be treated – Things like minor or dull pain, a chipped tooth, damaged dentures or minor cuts are all examples of cases that can wait to be treated and such cases should not be cause for panic in out of hours times.

Urgent Dental Emergencies

  • Bleeding that will not stop
  • A loose or knocked out permanent tooth
  • Painful swelling
  • Painful toothache
  • Head knock, whilst playing sport or general activity
  • Jaw soreness, displacement or painful click

Who to Contact

In an emergency you should call 000 or the Royal Dental Hospital. Most Dental pain can be handled by our team but if the pain becomes unbearable you may need to seek urgent attention

Royal Dental Hospital (03) 9341 1000

If for example you begin to experience moderate pain on a Sunday (out of hours) and believe you can make it through the night without being seen to immediately, the best course of action is to call a dentist Monday morning. Dental One sets aside time and always strives to prioritise dental emergencies.

Home Remedies for Dental Emergencies

In the situation as discussed above home remedies can be beneficial in reducing or minimising pain until you are seen to by a dentist.
  • Swish some salt water
  • Peppermint tea
  • Applying a cold pack to the area
  • Over the counter medicine, such as pain killers
  • Swish an antibacterial mouth wash
Remember to always consider whether the emergency is urgent or not and then contact the appropriate professional to help you. Local dentist, Royal Dental Hospital or emergency room, 30 minutes could be the difference! Dental One aims to prioritise all dental emergencies.

*Call 000 for all out of hours dental emergencies