What is an Emergency Dentist?

An emergency dentist is a service offered by specialist clinics in the UK, who aim to provide emergency treatment for both registered patients and those who require immediate assistance, but are not affiliated with them in any way. Emergency surgeries are normally open twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, including bank holidays, Christmas, New Year, and the Easter Weekend, which is very reassuring to know, because dental trauma can happen any time, day or night. It’s a good idea to register with a clinic that offers both day-to-day treatment – check-ups, cleaning, scheduled operations etc., as well as emergency services out of office hours, that way you are covered from every angle, in the event of an accident. If you would prefer to stay with your normal surgeon, you should keep the contact details of a twenty-four hour clinic handy; you never know when you might need immediate dental treatment, and you don’t want to be scrambling for a phone number after suffering an injury. The Pearl Dental Clinic offers emergency or walk-in appointments, so you don’t even need to call beforehand, if your circumstances are desperate, just arrive at the surgery and explain the situation.

What kind of things can an emergency dentist help with?

Knocked out teeth – with this kind of damage, it is important to get to the dentist’s office as soon as you can, within the hour if possible, otherwise the tooth will die and then there is no chance of reattaching it. If the tooth is cemented back into the socket in good time, it might be saved. But don’t panic if you can’t get to the emergency dentists right away, just wash the tooth gently under the tap (remember to put the plug in!) and don’t scrub away any tissue particles. You could try gently placing it back in the socket, to aid healing, but this is often too painful, and if there is severe damage to the tissue, it won’t hold anyway. While on your way to the surgery, keep the tooth in a cup of warm milk or water, this slows down the deterioration and keeps it moist while it is out of your mouth.

Fractured teeth – Deep cracks and fractures can put all the teeth at risk of infection and gum disease, so it’s a good idea to get them fixed at the first opportunity. Unless you are in a serious amount of pain, you will probably be given an appointment for the next day, because your tooth is still attached to the alveolar bone – the bone that holds the teeth upright, and a fracture does not necessarily damage the supporting ligaments. While you wait to be treated, it could help to wash your mouth out several times with a salt rinse; salt has many cleansing properties and it helps fight bacteria, which can keep your tooth in a healthy condition until the dentist can fill the gap.

Abscesses – Pus-filled swellings on the gums or inside the pulp cavity are signs of a harmful infection beneath the tissue, and they definitely require medical attention. Small abscesses don’t constitute an immediate risk to your health, so you could wait until the next day to see the dentist, but if you develop large, painful abscesses, you really do need some assistance as soon as possible. Although the emergency dentist will be qualified to drain and clean the abscess – whether it is above the gum line or below it, they won’t be able to deal with more worrying symptoms that point to a life-threatening problem; if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, or you suddenly become feverish, you need to get to the hospital quickly, you could be suffering from blood poisoning.

Tissue lacerations – In order to prevent infection and its related problems, small lacerations to the soft tissue of the mouth should be seen by an emergency dentist, but larger ones need medical treatment that only a doctor can provide. Dental surgeries are not equipped to deal with large cuts that bleed heavily, but they can help with bleeding or tissue damage associated with dental trauma. Whilst waiting to be treated, you can stem any blood flow with a small amount of gauze, and don’t take any anticoagulants, such as aspirin, they inhibit the clotting process, which only exacerbates the problem.

How much does the emergency dentist cost?

Because the treatment you are requesting is specialist and has to be arranged on the spot, it’s highly likely that your bill will be more than it would be at your local dentist. On-call professionals, such as plumbers or electricians will charge you for the emergency service they are providing, and dentists work in much the same way, except of course they are working on your teeth, not your household appliances. Keep in mind that you will be expected to pay a little bit more than you normally would, and there won’t be any nasty surprises when your invoice arrives. Every emergency clinic should break down applicable costs beforehand, and estimate the price of any further treatment that might be necessary, so you should be given a general idea of your payment before you enter the operating theatre. If you are not sure exactly how much it is going to cost you, ask your provider to clearly outline what you are being charged for.

Where can I find an emergency dentist?

If you are already registered with a clinic that offers this service, then you are all set, but there are a surprising amount of people who are unaware that emergency dental surgeries exist, and they continue to wait months for an appointment with their regular dentist, perhaps even when they are in serious pain. A good way to find a reputable clinic is to use the best tool at your disposal; the Internet. The web has thousands of contact details for dentists all over the country, and it can also provide you with reviews and testimonials from current patients or those who have received treatment from them in the past. You should also consider visiting prospective clinics, to experience the atmosphere and the level of customer care on show.