Emergencies

For after hours emergency care, please contact us on (02) 9451 3668.

We will endeavour to attend to a dental emergency as soon as possible.

Knocked Out Tooth

If a permanent tooth has been knocked out during an accident, remain calm.

  1. Handle the tooth by the crown (the white part normally visible in the mouth). Avoid touching the root.
  2. Briefly rinse the tooth (10 seconds) with milk or your own saliva if there is debris.
  3. Place the tooth back into the tooth socket as soon as possible.
  4. Hold the tooth in place with some foil or gently bite on a handkerchief.
  5. If you are not able to place the tooth back into the socket, place it in some cold milk and take it immediately to a dentist. Avoid storage in water.
  6. Contact the dental surgery as soon as possible – time is critical.
Why you shouldn’t replace milk or baby teeth

You should not attempt to put a deciduous (milk, or baby) tooth back in its socket because:

  1. It may fuse to the socket, which leads to difficulties when it is time for the tooth to be shed
  2. It may damage the permanent tooth underneath the socket.

Toothache

Tooth ache can be experienced for a number of different reasons including:

  • Dental decay
  • Cracked tooth
  • Abscess, an infection around tooth or gum
  • Debris trapped between the teeth and gums
  • Trauma to the face or teeth (eg. sporting injury)

If a toothache persists, seek immediate attention by contacting our surgery to prevent the problem from becoming severe. In the meantime, relief may be achieved by:

  1. Keeping the area as clean as possible. Carefully brush, floss and rinse well with water.
  2. If there is swelling, apply a cold pack to the cheek or lips.
  3. Take an over-the-counter painkiller such as nurofen or panadol if necessary.

Broken Tooth

If you have a broken tooth, contact the surgery for an appointment.

  1. Save the pieces of teeth – they may be re-bonded into position.
  2. Rinse your mouth well with warm water.
  3. If there is swelling, apply a cold pack to the cheek or lips next to the broken tooth.
  4. Take an over-the-counter painkiller such as nurofen or panadol if necessary.