Toothache has a talent for starting on a Friday evening. A lot of the calls reception takes first thing on a Monday begin with “I didn’t want to bother anyone at the weekend”, and in most of those cases waiting was fine. In a few it was not. This is how to tell the difference.
If it can wait until the morning
Plenty of dental pain is miserable without being urgent: a tooth that aches with cold drinks, a lost filling that does not hurt, a chipped edge, a crown that has come off in one piece. For these, take regular painkillers as the packet directs, avoid chewing on that side, and ring us before 09:00 on the next weekday.
We hold emergency slots back every morning for exactly this, and if you ring before nine you will be seen that day. If a crown has come off, keep it somewhere safe and bring it with you; it can often go back on.
On Saturdays we are open from 09:00 to 13:00, and it is worth ringing as soon as we open. We cannot promise a Saturday slot, but we will always tell you honestly whether we can fit you in.
If it cannot wait
Ring the practice on 01392 555 0146 at any hour. When we are closed, the answerphone gives you the number for the out-of-hours emergency dental service. NHS 111 can also put you in touch with the same service.
Use the out-of-hours service for:
- Pain that painkillers are not controlling and that is keeping you awake.
- A knocked-out adult tooth. Hold it by the crown, not the root, rinse it briefly in milk if it is dirty, and put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk. Time matters.
- Bleeding after an extraction that has not stopped after twenty minutes of firm pressure on a rolled-up gauze or clean handkerchief.
- Swelling of the gum or face, as long as it is not spreading and you have no trouble swallowing or breathing.
If it should not wait for a dentist at all
Go to A&E, or ring 999, if you have:
- Swelling that is spreading, towards your eye or down your neck.
- Any difficulty swallowing or breathing.
- A serious injury to your face or jaw.
These are rare, but they are the reason we answer the “can this wait?” question so carefully. A dental infection that is spreading needs a hospital, not a dental chair, and nobody at A&E will think you are wasting their time.
Afterwards
If you were seen out of hours, ring us on the next weekday anyway, even if the pain has gone. Emergency treatment is usually a temporary fix, and it is much better to book the proper one before the tooth reminds you on another Friday evening.
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