Emergency Dentist in Dudley – What Counts as an Emergency & When to Call

If you’re experiencing issues with your oral health and want to know if this would be classed as an emergency, you’re in the right place.

We can help you to triage your own dental emergency at home and take the appropriate action so that you can quickly deal with your pain and avoid any further dental damage.

What counts as an emergency?

A dental emergency is one that needs to be seen on the same day to prevent further damage or pain. If you’ve noticed a change in your teeth or gums but it isn’t causing you any pain or problems yet, then you should book a routine appointment to get to the bottom of the issue.

However, if you are in pain, if you are bleeding, or if you are unable to sleep, eat or concentrate on everyday tasks because of your oral health, then you should see a dentist as quickly as possible.

The issue with delaying treatment

A common problem with delaying treatment happens when patients start to feel better as they wait for their routine checkup. The pain goes away, so they assume the issue has passed and they don’t attend their checkup.

When the issue is tooth decay, this usually means that the nerve has died and so the pain goes away temporarily. The infection is still there and will continue to spread, often coming back worse than before. So when the pain returns, the damage is often far more extensive than before.

By treating all dental pain as an emergency, you can ensure that you get the dental care you need when you need it the most and prevent further damage.

Dental emergency examples

Not sure if your dental issue is an emergency or if you can wait for treatment? In reality, we would prefer that patients are over cautious about their dental issues and request an emergency appointment when they could have a routine appointment. This is far better than waiting for a routine appointment that should have been an emergency.

Dental emergencies include:

- Dental pain that is keeping you awake or preventing you from going to work

- Bleeding after dental surgery that isn’t stopped by biting on gauze

- Knocked out teeth, chipped teeth or cracked teeth

- Trauma to the jaw or face that causes swelling and pain

- Losing a bridge, crown, filling or veneer

- A broken denture or orthodontic appliance

In the case of serious trauma to your face, tongue or neck, or if you are struggling to breathe, you should call 999 or go to A&E as this would be considered to be a medical emergency.

What happens during an emergency appointment?

You might not have your full treatment completed during your emergency appointment, but we will aim to address your pain and prevent any further damage. Some treatments can be completed on the same day, or you might be invited to book a follow up treatment.

For missing restorations like bridges and crowns, we can often re-attach these on the same day. Simple extractions and fillings can also be completed on the same day, while more complex procedures will be completed during a follow-up. For complications after oral surgery, you may need pain relief or antibiotics to prevent further issues.

If you’re suffering from a dental emergency, don’t hesitate to call our team. We can accommodate a number of emergency appointments each day, so you can find fast and effective relief from your discomfort.