Emergency Dentist

Clean your mouth out by rinsing thoroughly with warm water. Gently floss around the tooth to remove any food particles that may be trapped between your teeth or just under your gum line. If your tooth continues to hurt, see our Geelong dentist as soon as possible.

The most common causes are a cracked or broken tooth, a lost filling or crown, or an infection. Only a thorough examination by your dentist can determine the underlying cause of severe pain.

Until you see our emergency dentist in Geelong, apply ice to the painful area for 10-20 minutes every hour. To alleviate pain, take painkillers as directed on the packaging label.

The urgency of a cracked or fractured tooth depends on the severity, but only a dentist can discern how serious the accident is. Sometimes fractures are fairly painless, but if the crack extends down into the root, the pain is likely to be extreme. If a tooth is cracked from trauma, grinding or biting, the best alternative is to book an appointment immediately.

It's important to clean the area effected by rinsing the mouth with warm water. Compress the cheek area with an ice pack wrapped in a clean towel to reduce swelling.

Steps to Take:

1. Call Geelong Dental Centre on (03) 5223 2833
2. Rinse the fragment of tooth your mouth with lukewarm water
3. Apply a gauze to the area for 10 minutes if there is bleeding
4. Place a cold towel or ice pack on the cheek to minimise the pain and swelling
5. Take a pain killer to further reduce pain and swelling

If a fracture or crack extends into the root, root canal therapy might be the only option to retain the tooth. If the tooth has a segment chipped off, Cardinia Dental Clinic will attempt to fix the fragment onto the tooth as a temporary measure.

Do not move your jaw. Secure your jaw in place with a handkerchief, necktie, or towel tied around the jaw and over the top of the head. Use cold compresses to reduce swelling.

Go to the hospital emergency room immediately.

Carefully insert a piece of dental floss or toothpick between your teeth. Be gentle so you do not cut the gum tissue. If you are unable to remove the object, see our emergency dentist as soon as possible.

A Child’s Baby Tooth

Call your dentist right away. If the child’s baby tooth is completely knocked out, chances are it cannot be re-implanted. If this happens, the missing tooth will be replaced naturally when the child’s permanent (adult) tooth grows.

A Permanent (Adult) Tooth

You have a 1-2 hour window in which your tooth has a chance for re-implantation – only your Dentist can tell you for sure. Take the following steps and see your Dentist right away. Remember to take your protected tooth with you.

For the Injured Person:

• Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean it. Apply gauze to the area and use firm pressure to stop the bleeding. Try to find the missing tooth right away.
• When the bleeding stops, apply a cold compress to the injured area to minimize swelling. If bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes of constant, firm pressure, see your dentist or go to the emergency room.
• Place the tooth in a small container and cover it with milk, water with a pinch of salt, or saliva from the injured person.

For the broken tooth:

• Hold the tooth only by its crown (the enamel, visible portion). If the tooth or root is dirty, place a towel or dishcloth in a sink (so the tooth cannot fall into the drain), and gently rinse the tooth and root but DO NOT SCRUB it or remove any gum tissue that may still be attached to the root.
• If possible, gently place the tooth back into its gum socket facing the correct direction (making sure that you do not force the tooth back in place). You can use alfoil to cover it and help hold it in place by folding over the lost tooth and the tooth next to it until you can get to the dentist.
• If this is not possible, place the tooth in a small container and cover the tooth in milk, or water with a pinch of salt, or saliva from the injured person.

Schedule an appointment with our dentist. You can relieve pain caused by air in contact with the exposed part of your tooth by using clove oil (available over the counter in pharmacies and supermarkets). Just dip a cotton swab in clove oil and apply it to the exposed part of your tooth.

Filling:

To make your tooth more comfortable, fill the hole in your tooth with tooth wax or cement (available over the counter at your pharmacy). Do not use any household adhesives in your mouth.

Crown:

• If you found the crown, you may temporarily replace it yourself until you see your dentist.
• Gently clean any debris from the inside of your crown.
• To the inside of your crown, apply denture adhesive, dental cement, or toothpaste before slipping the crown back in place to protect your tooth.

See our emergency dentist right away because gum pain or swelling can be the symptoms of an abscess (infection) that forms in gum tissue or in a tooth’s root and the area that surrounds it. There are many reasons why gums can swell, become painful, or have abscesses. Only a thorough exam with a dentist can identify the underlying cause.

If the abscess ruptures, you may experience a sudden rush of foul-smelling and foul-tasting fluid from the swollen or painful area. Rinse your mouth with warm water immediately.