What to Do in a Dental Emergency

A dental emergency can be frightening, but knowing what to do in the first few minutes can protect your teeth and your health. First, the red flags: if you have facial swelling that is spreading towards your eye or neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or uncontrolled bleeding, treat it as a medical emergency and call 999 or go to A&E.

For a knocked-out adult tooth, time matters. Pick it up by the crown (not the root), rinse it gently if dirty, and try to place it back in the socket. If you can't, keep it in milk and get to a dentist within the hour. For severe toothache, over-the-counter pain relief and a saltwater rinse can help while you arrange to be seen.

When you're not sure how urgent something is, that's exactly what triage is for. A quick assessment can tell you whether you need to be seen today, this week, or whether self-care is enough — and can connect you to a video consultation if a dentist needs to see the problem.