Emergency dentist in Woonona, first steps for knocked, broken or very sore teeth

You do not need to diagnose the cause before calling. The Toothache and gum swelling guide describes pain that can be constant, throbbing or intermittent, sometimes with sensitivity to food or drinks. Causes include decay, a crack, gum disease, an abscess or a wisdom tooth coming through, and pain alone does not show which treatment the tooth needs. A dental injury, such as a loose, displaced, chipped or broken tooth, is another reason for assessment.

An assessment usually involves examining your mouth, reviewing your dental and medical history and discussing what makes symptoms better or worse. An X-ray may help find the cause. Depending on the findings, treatment can include a filling, root canal treatment, a crown or removal of a badly infected tooth. Describe the problem in everyday terms when you call, and use our contact page for the clinic details. Trouble breathing or speaking, or swelling around the eye or neck, needs emergency medical care instead.

Keep notes on when the problem started and what you have tried so far. These details help the team advise on the next step and how soon you need to be seen.

Call 000 or go to an emergency department if a mouth injury causes trouble breathing, talking or swallowing, heavy bleeding down your throat, or marked swelling of the mouth or tongue. Dental injury guidance lists these as reasons for ambulance or hospital care. Toothache can need emergency medical care without any accident: the Toothache guide names difficulty breathing or speaking and swelling around the eye or neck as warning signs. In these cases the person's breathing comes before the look of a tooth.

A suspected abscess needs prompt dental or medical assessment, and Abscess guidance explains that serious infections may need hospital care. Treatment depends on severity rather than pain alone. For dental problems without these warning signs, our contact page gives the clinic's details. If symptoms change while you wait, or any emergency sign appears, call 000 or go to an emergency department instead of waiting for a reply. Tell emergency staff how the injury happened.

If you are unsure which group your symptoms fall into, ring the clinic first and describe them in plain language. Call 000 straight away if any of the emergency signs are present.

The main steps are earlier on this page, so here are the details that are easy to get wrong. The crown is the smooth white part normally visible in the mouth, and the root sits in the gum. Explains that touching the root can damage cells needed for healing. Dental injury guidance advises storing the tooth in milk or the person's saliva in a container, and trying to put it back only if the person is conscious.

Baby teeth need a different response because a permanent tooth is developing underneath. Reinserting a baby tooth can damage that developing tooth. A child still needs prompt dental advice after losing a baby tooth in an injury, so the other teeth and mouth can be checked. Tell the clinic from our contact page that a tooth has been knocked out and when it happened. Our kids dentistry page covers later routine care, which does not replace assessment of the injury.

Keep the stored tooth with you and bring it to the appointment, even if it looks damaged. Say clearly how long ago the injury happened.

Ask the clinic about a chipped tooth, broken filling or damaged crown, especially after an injury or if it hurts. Pain does not reliably show how much attention a chip needs: Injury advice says chipped or cracked teeth may or may not hurt, and that early assessment can help the tooth survive. If a piece has broken off, keep it in milk or sterile saline and bring it, as Dental injury guide advises. Tell the team whether your bite feels different.

A lost filling is different from losing a tooth. A dentist needs to look at the tooth and any remaining filling before deciding on repair or replacement. Repairs cover different amounts of missing tooth: Treatment guide describes tooth-coloured resin bonded to a chipped tooth, while a crown covers more of the tooth. Our teeth coloured fillings page and crowns and bridges page explain these options.

Bring any piece of tooth you have kept, even if the tooth is not painful. Also mention recent dental work on that tooth, because it helps the dentist understand what has changed.

Ask a pharmacist about pain relief that suits your health and medicines, and follow the packet directions. Pain-relief medicine guide explains that different medicines carry different risks and may not suit everyone. Paracetamol advice warns that combination products, including cold and flu medicines, can contain paracetamol, so ask the pharmacist to check ingredients before you combine products. Pain relief eases symptoms. It does not find or fix the cause.

Resting with your head supported on a pillow may help, because lying flat can make dental pain feel worse. Seek dental assessment when pain lasts more than two days or does not improve with pain relief. When you call, say what you have taken, including the product name and the time of the dose, and mention any allergies and regular medicines so the advice can fit your circumstances. Keep the packaging handy. Use our contact page to arrange an assessment.

If your pain gets worse, or a fever or swelling develops, treat that as a change in your situation and call the clinic again. Do not wait until your booked time.

No. Tooth abscess guide says antibiotics alone are not enough to treat a tooth abscess and that it does not go away by itself. Antibiotics may be part of the plan, but they do not replace treatment of the source. Depending on the cause and severity, treatment may include drainage, root canal treatment, removing the tooth or cleaning around a tooth affected by gum disease.

The options suit different causes. Decay or a crack may call for root canal treatment or removal, while gum disease may need cleaning around the tooth. Root canal guide explains that the procedure removes affected pulp, cleans the canals and seals them, and a filling or crown then restores the tooth. Our root canal treatment page has more detail. An abscess does not mean removal is inevitable. A serious infection may need hospital care, so seek emergency help for difficulty breathing or speaking, or swelling around the eye or neck.

Tell the clinic about any swelling, fever or bad taste when you call, because these are reasons to seek prompt dental or medical assessment.

Not always. First the dentist needs to find the cause, and Dental treatment guide describes an examination of the teeth and mouth, with X-rays if needed. Temporary treatment can be an intended first stage. Fillings guide lists emergency care, a lack of time to finish treatment and protection between root canal appointments as reasons for a temporary filling, which is later replaced by a permanent restoration.

Root canal treatment may need several visits. Describes cleaning and shaping the canals, a temporary filling between sessions, then sealing and a filling or crown. Before you leave, ask what was completed, whether anything is temporary and who will arrange follow-up. Keep the instructions for that tooth, including what to do if pain changes before the next visit. Our crowns and bridges page gives background on later stages.

If the visit leaves a temporary restoration, ask when it needs replacing and what to avoid in the meantime. Write down the answers, or ask for them in writing, so you can check them later.

Ask about the assessment fee, and request an estimate for any treatment proposed after the examination. Guide to dental costs says private clinics set their own fees, most dental care is not covered by Medicare and private health benefits depend on your policy. Policies differ in what they cover and how much they pay, and annual claim limits may apply. An assessment and a later repair may involve different items, so check benefits against the actual items. This page cannot give a personal total or promise an insurance payment.

There is also a public dental pathway. NSW Health's patient information says eligible adults must be NSW residents, eligible for Medicare and hold a listed concession card, or be named as a dependent on one. For children, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule can cover part or all of some basic dental care when eligibility conditions are met. Our fees page and payment options page explain the clinic's published information. If cost worries you, say so when you call.

Write down the quote and the item numbers you are given so that you can pass them to your insurer. Ask whether the quote includes any follow-up visits.

Follow the written instructions for the procedure you actually had, and ask about eating, cleaning, medicines and follow-up before you leave. After an extraction, Extraction guide advises avoiding rinsing for the first 24 hours so the blood clot is not disturbed, plus rest, no physical sport, no smoking and no alcohol. Contact the dentist about severe ongoing pain, substantial bleeding, fever or swelling that persists or worsens.

After a filling, Fillings guide says the tooth may be sensitive to sweet foods, heat, cold or biting, and sensitivity still present after a few days needs another review. A temporary filling must be replaced to finish treatment. For continuing root canal treatment, check the next appointment before assuming care is complete. Note any symptom that changes and when it began, and keep the clinic's number from our contact page handy. Seek emergency medical care for breathing difficulty.

If you were given a temporary filling or a follow-up time, put it in your calendar straight away, and ask who to call if the appointment needs to move.

Emergency bookings outside our opening hours are available by appointment, so contact the clinic to arrange one before you attend, and confirm the appointment time before you travel. Our contact page has the details. Explain the pain, swelling, bleeding or injury and when it began. If an injury causes trouble breathing, talking or swallowing, heavy bleeding down your throat or a very swollen mouth or tongue, call 000 or go to an emergency department, as Dental injury advice directs.

If you cannot reach dental care and need health advice, NSW Health's patient information directs people to their GP or healthdirect when their public dental service is closed. Healthdirect's number is 1800 022 222. A registered nurse can assess your symptoms and guide you towards care, but this line does not confirm a clinic appointment. A knocked-out adult tooth needs immediate dental or hospital attention, and Information about Dental injuries advises keeping it moist in milk or saliva. For a broken fragment, use milk or sterile saline.

Save the clinic's phone number in your phone, so you can find it if a problem starts late at night or on a weekend.