Emergency Dentist in Kew

First, is it an adult tooth or a baby tooth? It changes everything.

Baby tooth

Do not put it back in. Pushing a baby tooth back into the socket can damage the adult tooth developing underneath. Keep the tooth, bring it with you, and call us.

Adult tooth, and every minute counts

1. Pick it up by the crown, the white part you normally see. Never touch the root.
2. If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk or saline for a few seconds. Not water, and do not scrub it.
3. If you can, put it straight back into the socket the right way round, and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it there.
4. If you cannot, put it in a cup of milk, or hold it inside your cheek. Never let it dry out.
5. Get seen. The best outcomes are inside about 30 minutes, and a tooth kept in milk stays viable far longer than a dry one.

Tonight this should not wait for us.A hospital emergency department can splint it and refer you. St Vincent’s in Fitzroy or Box Hill Hospital, both open 24 hours. Call us anyway and we will hold tomorrow’s first appointment for the follow up.

1. Take whatever pain relief you would normally take, following the directions on the packet.
2. Rinse with warm salty water.
3. Hold a cold pack against the outside of your cheek, not directly on the gum.
4. Sleep propped up on an extra pillow. It takes the pressure off and it genuinely helps.
5. Soft food only. Avoid anything very hot or very cold, and do not chew on that side.

Do not put aspirin or oil of cloves directly on the gum. It burns the tissue and makes your appointment harder.

Cold pack on the outside of the cheek, warm salt water rinses, pain relief as per the packet, and sleep propped up. Get the first appointment we have. Swelling means infection, and infection does not resolve on its own.

If the swelling starts spreading, up toward your eye or down under your jaw, or you start having trouble swallowing, call 000. Do not wait for the morning. This is the one dental problem that becomes genuinely dangerous overnight.

Rinse your mouth with warm water. If there is a sharp edge, cover it with a small piece of sugar free chewing gum or dental wax so it does not cut your tongue or cheek. Keep any fragments in milk, because sometimes they can be bonded back. Cold pack on the outside of the cheek for swelling.

If cold air or water sends a jolt through it, the nerve is exposed. That one wants seeing tomorrow, not next week.

Keep the crown and bring it with you. It can often be re-cemented. Do not try to glue it back yourself, because household adhesives are toxic and they make the tooth impossible to re-fit properly.

Chew on the other side, keep the area clean, and avoid very hot or cold food. If there is no pain this can wait for an ordinary appointment. If it aches or feels sensitive to air, call us.

1. Roll up clean gauze or a folded handkerchief and place it directly on the socket.
2. Bite down firmly for 20 minutes without checking. Checking restarts the clock.
3. Sit up, and do not lie flat.
4. No rinsing, no spitting, no straws, no smoking, and nothing hot.

If it is still bleeding heavily after two full attempts, go to an emergency department or call 000.