Does a lingering toothache count as an emergency?

At our Dental Rooms, we are proud to be able to offer an emergency dentist Wimbledon, who will aim to see you within 24 hours of you contacting our surgery. That way, discomfort is relieved and you can get back to your life.

Here are 5 reasons why you may need to book an appointment with our emergency dentist Wimbledon.

Swelling

There is a reason why it is depicted in cartoons as a sign of a toothache!

If you have any sudden or gradual swelling to your face, under your jawline or on your gums, you should come and see our emergency dentist Wimbledon. This is also advised even if the swelling isn’t painful.

Swellings to the oral areas are usually indicative of a dental abscess, an impacted tooth or an allergic reaction. In any of these cases, you will need to seek urgent medical attention.

Discomfort

One of the key reasons we see emergency patients is due to discomfort in their mouth, usually under a single tooth.

In almost 99% of cases, this discomfort is due to an abscess that is forming. Typically, this will be located between the soft tissue of the gum and the bone, meaning that as it grows, it creates a feeling of pressure or discomfort. However, you may also experience dental pain due to a missing filling, a missing crown, an impacted tooth or due to trauma.

Irrespective of any swelling, if you have any discomfort which feels like a burning sensation, a bruise, or a stabbing sensation and it is distracting you in your daily life, you should seek help from our team.

Lost restoratives

As mentioned in the previous point, a lost filling or crown can present with discomfort as one of its main symptoms.

But if it doesn’t and the first sign you have that one of your fillings or crowns has come loose is you actually holding it in your hand, you still need to seek emergency help from our team! This is because the tooth that has the missing crown or filling will probably act as a magnet for plaque and food debris, which can worsen any underlying decay.

Also, should the filling or crown have been large, if it falls off, you are putting yourself at a higher risk of developing an abscess by not having it treated.

So, as before, come and see our team!

Enamel damage

OK, so damage to enamel can be insidious, but if you notice that there is a crack across one of your teeth, or you have a chip, then you need to see our team urgently.

We will usually restore damaged enamel using a composite filling. And as is the case with a missing crown or filling, delaying treatment can lead to decay and may even cause sensitivity or damage to spread.

Bleeding

Most oral bleeds are due to extraction or trauma.

If you apply pressure to the bleed site with gauze and it doesn’t resolve in 20 minutes, you need to book a same-day appointment with our team. This will obviously stop the bleed, will prevent the wound from reopening and allow the site to heal.