Should I See An Emergency Dentist or Visit A&E?

Should I See An Emergency Dentist or Visit A&E?

20/10/2022

When you experience dental pain or injury it can be a stressful situation, making it difficult to know how to react and what professional help you should seek out. As we know, A&E department waiting times are very long, partially due to patients immediately going to A&E instead of seeking more appropriate help.

To help you identify who to call in a dental emergency, we have listed below common dental emergencies and the appropriate next steps recommended.

Non-Emergency Symptoms

If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is not an emergency and your symptoms can be treated at home or with the help of your usual dentist:

• Toothache that comes and goes or remains a dull aching pain
• Wisdom tooth pain (without swelling)
• Tooth sensitivity
• Bleeding gums
• A sharp, shooting pain when biting down
• A new ulcer (less than 10 days old)
• Broken or chipped teeth
• A missing or loose crown/veneer/brace
• Denture discomfort

Dental Emergency

The following symptoms may require an emergency appointment at your local dental practice:

• Swelling in the gum, cheek or face that is spreading. When contacting your dentist, ensure you mention that the swelling is spreading down your neck, up towards your eye or along the floor of your mouth if this is the case so you are treated appropriately
• Agonising pain that is preventing you from concentrating or sleeping
• Mouth ulcers that have been present for two or more weeks
• Bleeding from a recent tooth extraction site that lasts longer than 20 minutes
• A broken tooth which is causing pain and damage to the surrounding area (cheek or tongue)
• A knocked-out tooth
• Controlled bleeding after trauma to the face

Book an emergency dentist appointment in Kettering now.

Go to A&E

Go immediately to your nearest A&E if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Swelling to the face that is affecting your breathing, vision, ability to swallow or your ability to open your mouth wider than two fingers width
• Any facial or oral trauma causing loss of consciousness, double vision or vomiting
• Uncontrollable, rapid bleeding from your mouth