In pain? Call us and we will make room

Severe or persistent toothache, swelling of the face or gum, a knocked out tooth, a badly broken tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, or an injury to the jaw all warrant being seen urgently.

Swelling that is spreading, particularly if it affects your eye or your ability to swallow or breathe, is a medical emergency. Go to the emergency room rather than waiting for a dental appointment.

A lost filling or a chipped tooth without pain is uncomfortable but not urgent. Call and we will fit you in soon, though it does not need to be today.

Persistent throbbing pain, especially if it wakes you at night or is triggered by heat, usually means the nerve inside the tooth is inflamed or infected. That does not resolve on its own.

Rinse with warm salt water and take an over the counter painkiller as directed. Do not put aspirin directly against the gum, which burns the tissue.

Painkillers are buying you time, not treating the cause. The underlying infection needs addressing, usually with a root canal or an extraction.

This is the one where minutes genuinely count. An adult tooth reimplanted within an hour has a reasonable chance of surviving. After a few hours, the odds drop sharply.

Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline, not water, and do not scrub it.

Best case, place it gently back in the socket and bite on a cloth to hold it. If that is not possible, keep it in a cup of milk and get to us immediately.

For a knocked out baby tooth, do not try to reinsert it, as that can damage the adult tooth developing underneath. Call us anyway.

Rinse your mouth with warm water and apply a cold compress to the outside of your face to limit swelling. Save any pieces of the tooth and bring them with you.

Avoid chewing on that side. A cracked tooth can split further under pressure, and a tooth that splits below the gumline often cannot be saved.

How we treat it depends on how deep the break goes. A chipped edge might need only bonding, while a break exposing the nerve needs a root canal and a crown.

Keep the crown if you have it, clean it gently, and bring it in. It can often be recemented rather than remade.

Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can cover an exposed area for a day or two. Sugar free gum pressed into the cavity works in a pinch. Neither is a repair.

The exposed tooth is vulnerable to decay and fracture, so do not leave it for weeks.

An abscess is a pocket of infection, usually showing as a painful swelling on the gum, sometimes with a bad taste if it is draining. It needs treating promptly.

Rinse with warm salt water several times a day to ease discomfort. Do not attempt to lance it yourself.

Infection in the mouth can spread to the jaw and beyond, which is why an abscess is not something to wait out. Call us.