How Urgent Is a Tooth Infection?
At Didsbury Dental Practice, we know the discomfort and danger that can be presented by a tooth infection. That’s why we are here to help, especially in an emergency. In this blog, we will be answering the question “How urgent is a tooth infection?”
Sometimes people may not know the options they have when it comes to emergency dental treatment and wait until their next appointment which could be months away.
This could cause serious health problems if not addressed as soon as possible.
Luckily for you, we at Didsbury Dental Practice have collected all the answers you will need in order for you to know what we offer for dental emergencies, and how it can help your teeth today.
Can I be seen for a tooth infection on the same day?
When you experience a dental emergency, especially a tooth infection, 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.
How urgent is a tooth infection?
A tooth infection can come about as a result of poor dental hygiene, a weakened immune system or even food or debris being lodged within the gums.
A tooth infection can be considered an urgent dental emergency if there is constant pain and swelling, releasing pus, and is not getting better. Under these circumstances, tooth infection can be considered an urgent dental emergency.
According to the NHS a dental emergency is largely by two things, pain and infection.
In regard to pain, it may be around the jaw or other areas of the face, if this pain can not be controlled or relaxed with over-the-counter prescriptions, it is regarded as an emergency.
This pain may be a result of prolonged infection or pressure from a moving tooth on nerves which can be excruciating and exhausting.
When it comes to infection, it must be a dental & soft-tissue acute infection. This can be characterised in a variety of ways, by pain, swelling, pain or difficulty when moving the area, a release of pus, being sore to the touch or having swollen glands. (this may vary depending on the source and severity of the infection.)
Infections must be dealt with immediately, and sometimes infections become recurring as a result of a wisdom tooth taking time to come through the gums as an example. Infections if left unaffected can lead to further serious and life-threatening health issues.
Your tooth infection is not urgent if…
Below is a brief list of what is NOT considered a dental emergency
- Patients not in pain;
- Aesthetic problems (dislodged crowns and bridges);
- Patients with broken dentures;
- Patients with hospital referral letters;
- Patients requiring permanent restorations;
- Non traumatic problems with orthodontic appliances;
- Patients who have no significant pathology;
- Patients requiring a second opinion;
- Patients using EDS as their regular dentist;
- Requiring surgical extractions (wisdom teeth) and are not in pain.
Didsbury Dental Practice
The cost of an emergency dental consultation is £55. For this price, you benefit from the following:
- Rapidly available appointments across seven days a week
- 24/7 telephone support from our knowledgeable team of dental professionals
- A full consultation, including the creation of your bespoke treatment plan
- Additional support for nervous patients, including treatment with state-of-the-art dental lasers and sedation
During this consultation, you will be given various options that our professionals feel are suitable for treatment to ensure you achieve the best results possible.
Will emergency dentist take tooth out?
It is completely dependent on the situation of your emergency, this is our process,
When a dental emergency occurs, you will need to have an X-Ray to ascertain the severity of the issue and check the condition of your other teeth. Prices for this start from just £15, with all treatments, carried out on-site using professional technology.
Once your dentist has a complete view of what needs to be done to resolve your issue, further procedures can be booked. One of these may be the removal of a tooth, again depending on the circumstances.
Hygiene treatment
Should you need a hygiene review and treatment to alleviate discomfort or eliminate the emergency from reoccurring, our appointments start from £15. Treatments include plaque removal, descaling, gum health checks, and removal of calculus above the gums. If you are experiencing chronic pain, this will likely only be an additional treatment as the root cause still needs to be sorted out.
Dental surgery
If it is deemed that surgical treatment is your best option, these prices start from £89 and range up to £150 depending on the needed procedure’s complexity. The more standard procedures include simple tooth extractions, not including any bone removal. If you have a broken or infected tooth, this is likely the treatment path that will be chosen.
*The prices reflect the complex nature of surgery and aftercare for more complicated extractions, including teeth at risk of fracture or bone removal.
Fillings
One of the most common causes of toothache is an infected or damaged tooth, which a filling can fix. Emergency fillings, which can be used when another treatment is needed or before a longer appointment is available, cost £50.
As a private practice, we can offer high-quality fillings for NHS dentists. We, therefore, in addition to the standard silver filling (£75) provide white filings for £95 and glass ionomers for £65. Not only can we resolve your emergency issue in record time, but we can leave your smile looking exactly like it did previously.
Root canal
Another common cause of toothache is root canals, a more serious condition that needs speedy treatment. In fact, over one million root canals are performed every year, making it one of the most widespread procedures.
Emergency removal of infected nerve tissue with temporary pain relief costs £280. Sometimes you will need to wait for a complete root canal to be carried out, so this is the best way to alleviate any discomfort during the interim period.
There are then three different types of root canals which are a treatment for incisors and canines (£350), premolars (£450) and molars (£650).
Our other dental fees also highlight any aftercare treatment that may be needed, such as implants (from £800) or orthodontic treatment (from £1500).
Contact Didsbury Dental Practice today
Aside from the range of treatments and orthodontic services we offer, as a 24-hour emergency dentist you can rest assured that we at Didsbury Dental Practice are here for you whenever you need it.
Whether you’re looking for a new reliable dental practitioner or looking for realignment treatment for your teeth, we have what you’re looking for. We hope to have answered the question ‘How Urgent is a tooth infection?’ whilst providing you with all the information that we at Didsbury Dental Practice can offer you.
For all the information you need to know about dentistry, be sure to check out our blog page.
Want to book a consultation? Click the link here to be taken to our website.
Our opening hours are from:
9:00AM – 12:00AM – Monday to Sunday
Call us at:
0161 504 7425
Visit our practice:
Didsbury Dental Practice
90 Barlow Moor Road
Manchester
M20 2PN
United Kingdom
