How Quickly Can You Get Emergency Dental Treatment?

During dental emergencies, it is very common for patients to miss out on being examined by dentists and receiving urgent treatment. Perhaps the patient was anxious, or they dismissed the need for emergency dental treatment, or there were delays at the NHS dental practice.

Research has shown that 86% of people think that access to emergency dental care should be a high priority for the NHS. So, there is a huge demand for urgent dental care, amongst the general population.

In this article, we will answer the question ‘how quickly can you get emergency dental treatment?’, which we hope you will find useful.

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Here at Didsbury Dental Practice, we regularly update our blog with articles about all things dental health. We publish these articles to answer the frequently asked questions that we know people are searching online if they are experiencing a toothache or a dental emergency.

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How quickly can you get emergency dental treatment?

When you experience a dental emergency, you should contact your dental practice as soon as possible, to see if they can offer you an emergency appointment at short notice.

If your dental practice is closed, you should check whether they offer any out-of-hours services. If they don’t, then your options are:

visit another dental practice which does operate out-of-hours, and can provide you with an emergency appointment.
check whether your town, city, or county has an urgent dental care service, where you can access an emergency dental appointment. Click here to find a dentist near you.
use the NHS 111 service and take advice from the medical professionals there.
to wait until your dental practice opens again, and book the next available emergency appointment.

You should go to A&E as soon as possible if:

there is heavy bleeding
the symptoms have spread to your body (e.g. if you have a fever)
you experience swelling in the mouth or neck
you have difficulty breathing
you have injured your mouth, teeth, or face

So, how quickly can you get emergency dental treatment?

Well, in most cases, if you act fast, you can expect to receive emergency dental treatment within 24 hours. If the dental practice is completely booked with emergency appointments, you may have to wait a little bit longer to be seen.

That is why it is a wise idea to consider using an out-of-hours dentist (such as ours at Didsbury Dental Practice), as this increases your likelihood that you will be examined by a dentist on the same day.

Emergency dental care at Didsbury Dental Practice

How Quickly Can You Get Emergency Dental Treatment

At Didsbury Dental Practice, our emergency dental care is second to none.

Our emergency dental care service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including on Bank Holidays and Christmas Day.

Our team of dental professionals can provide treatment for any type of dental emergency: from severe toothache and tooth infections to broken teeth, lost fillings or gum inflammation.

Didsbury Dental Practice has got you covered, at any time of day or night. Dental emergencies can be very painful, so we offer out-of-hours treatment because we know that dental problems don’t always stick to 9.00 am to 12.00 am.

To book an emergency appointment with us, it is not necessary for you to be an existing patient at our practice.

If you experience a dental emergency, simply call our dental emergency helpline on 0161 413 2509, or walk into our dental practice, and we will aim to see you as soon as possible.

Click here to learn more about the emergency dental care offered at Didsbury Dental Practice.

What counts as a dental emergency?

A dental emergency refers to a tooth problem which requires urgent dental care or treatment, as it could lead to further medical problems if left untreated.

You should book an emergency dentist appointment as soon as possible if you experience any of the following dental emergencies:

Uncontrollable dental haemorrhage following extractions
Rapidly increasing swelling around the throat or eye
Trauma confined to the dental arches
Severe dental and facial pain which does not go away with over-the-counter medications
Trauma to the face
A knocked-out tooth
Dental and soft tissue acute infection
Excruciating tooth pain
Swelling of the gums, cheek, or face
Excessive bleeding after tooth extraction which persists even after biting into gauze

If you are unsure whether you should go to A&E, contact NHS 111 via telephone or use the 111 online service, and the trained professionals can advise you.

What does not count as a dental emergency?

These situations are not urgent, so you could potentially treat the problem by yourself, or speak to your dentist for guidance.

Minor toothache
Small cavity
Dislodged crowns and bridges
Losing a filling
Broken dentures or braces
If you require surgical extractions (wisdom teeth) but are not in pain
Sensitive or bleeding gums
Mouth ulcers that have existed for less than 10 days
Chipped tooth

It is not classed as a tooth emergency if you:

Have a hospital referral letter
Require permanent restorations
Have non-traumatic problems with orthodontic appliances
Want a second opinion
Want to use emergency dentist services to have a routine check-up
Want a cosmetic dentistry service, such as teeth whitening, teeth straightening, dental bonding or veneers

What might happen if I don’t get my dental emergency looked at?

There are many things that could go wrong if you don’t get your dental emergency looked at by a dentist. Your tooth pain or inflammation may become more severe and thus require more intense treatment to fix.

Ignoring a dental emergency could have harmful consequences for your oral hygiene and even your long-term health.

For instance, the pulp inside your tooth will eventually become infected– which can lead to a dental abscess, severe gum inflammation, or other serious complications.

Similarly, if your tooth has been knocked out, but you don’t see a dentist as soon as possible, then that tooth will no longer be salvageable. To replace that missing tooth, you may require a dental implant, bridge, or denture instead, which is more expensive, time-consuming, and requires more effort, than simply bringing your knocked out tooth for the dentist to install back in.

Moreover, your severe toothache may be an early indicator of gum inflammation or a bacterial infection. But if you don’t visit a dentist, then this may develop into periodontitis, which damages the soft tissue and, without treatment, can destroy the bone that supports your teeth.

Dental emergencies can also affect the entire body- as the bacteria in your mouth can also enter into your bloodstream and create problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other medical issues.

All of these examples demonstrate why it is important to see a dentist as soon as a tooth emergency happens. The earlier you get seen by a dental professional, the faster they will be able to help you overcome your problem, prevent further damage, and instruct you on the correct aftercare.

What can I do if my child has a dental emergency?

As a parent, it can be distressing when your child experiences a dental emergency. They may cry, become extremely agitated, or constantly complain of pain and discomfort.

Follow these steps if your child has a tooth emergency:

Stay calm. Your child may be irritable and upset if they have hurt themselves or lost a tooth. Be patient and speak to them in soothing, reassuring tones.
Assess the situation. Check your child out thoroughly. Look out for any facial swelling or bleeding.
Remove any objects from the child’s mouth, such as food, a dummy or a bottle.
If your child is bleeding from the mouth, grab a clean gauze or paper towel and ask your child to bite down on it. You can also apply a cold compress to the child’s face.
Make an emergency dental appointment for your child as soon as possible. The dentist will carry out a thorough examination and provide the necessary advice and treatment.
If your child has lost a tooth, try to find the tooth and bring it with you to the emergency dental appointment. Do not touch the root of the tooth as you handle it. Place the tooth in a container of milk to preserve it.
If the problem is more serious, call your GP, call 111, or take your child to A&E as soon as you can.

We hope we have answered the question ‘how quickly can you get emergency dental treatment?’

To learn more about Didsbury Dental Practice, visit our website here.

We offer a wide range of dental services and treatments, including teeth whitening, Invisalign, Alias lingual braces, Six Month Smiles Braces and Damon Clear Braces.

If you need an emergency appointment, call our dental emergency helpline on 0161 413 2835, or walk into our practice and we will aim to see you as soon as possible.

Check out our blog to read more articles on dental health.