A research reveals nearly 9 out of every 10 people in the UK that emergency dental care should be given priority in the NHS. As such there is a massive demand for urgent dental care among members of the public across the nation. The topic we will discuss in this article is how fast is it possible to get emergency dental treatment.
If you are suffering from a dental emergency, you should report the matter to your dentist’s office as soon as you can. There is just no point delaying contacting a dentist when you suffer from any dental issue that requires immediate care and attention. Chances are there that the dentist’s office may provide you with an emergency appointment at a short notice.
However dental emergencies do not bother about day and time. You could be hit with a dental condition suddenly that requires emergency treatment. It could be likely that a serious dental issue that requires urgent treatment knock on you at a time when the practice is closed or it could even be a bank holiday. What you do in such condition? If you ever face this type of conditions, you must check whether your dentist offers an “out of hours” service to attend to you needs. There are a large number of dental practices in the UK that offer “out of hours” services to handle emergency cases.
In case the practice where you are registered does not offer out of hours services then there is nothing much to worry. In that case you have the following options in your stock.
- Go to a different dental surgery that offers out of hours services. There you can easily get an emergency dental appointment without a fuss.
- You can log into the NHS website (https://www.nhs.uk) and search for a urgent dental care service that is located near you.
- It is also possible to dial 111 NHS service and seek advice from their medical professionals over the phone.
As the last-ditch option, you can wait till the oral health practice you are registered at opens again. You can book the next available slot for emergency appointments.
However, it is important that you walk straightway into the accident and emergency room (A&E) of a hospital near you in case you experience the following –
- There is heavy and controlled bleeding that does not seem to stop
- The dental infection or the symptoms you are suffering from have already spread to your body (In this case you are likely to have a fever)
- There is swelling in the neck region or in the face there is breathing difficulty
- The mouth, face or the teeth are badly injured
How fast can you get emergency dental treatment?
An eminent emergency dentist in London says if as a patient you act promptly then you are pretty likely to get emergency dental treatment within 24 hours. But if your dental practice is booked up to the saturation level with emergency appointments then your wait time could be little longer till the dentist sees you.
In order to avoid this uncertainty, it is always better to seek a dentist near you who provides out of hours services. This brightens your chances of being examined by a dentist on the same day as you get the right treatments earlier.
What is considered as a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is ay problem related to the tooth, gums or the mouth which needs urgent care and treatment. If the problem is left ignored and unattended it is likely to complicate the condition further. It is important to book an urgent dental appointment if one experiences any of the following symptoms –
- Trauma to the face
- A tooth knocked out from its socket in the jaw
- Uncontrolled bleeding or dental haemorrhage following a tooth extraction
- An acute dental infects or a severe infection of the soft tissues in the mouth
- Acute and unbearable toothache
- Swelling of the gums, cheeks or the face
- Swelling that is increasing rapidly around the eye or the throat
- Acute pain in the tooth or the face region that does ease away with over-the-counter painkillers
- Trauma related to dental arches
If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above you should walk into the A&E room of your nearest hospital. If that is not possible for whatsoever reason then you must dial NHS 111 or use the 111 online service to let their trained experts advise you suggests one of the best emergency dentist services in London.
Conditions that are NOT considered as dental emergencies
There are certain dental conditions that are not considered as dental emergencies. These situations do not require urgent care and treatment. Potentially a patient can treat the problem by himself or one can discuss it with a dentist for guidance. The conditions include the following –
- A lost filling
- A chipped tooth
- Bleeding or sensitive gums
- Small cavity in the tooth
- Broken orthodontic braces or dentures
- Oral ulcers that are less than 10 days old
- Minor toothache
- Dental crowns and bridges which become loosened or dislodged
In addition to the conditions mentioned above if require surgical extraction of your wisdom teeth but you are not in pain then that too does not qualify as an emergency dental condition.
It is also not categorised as a dental emergency if you –
- Are looking for a cosmetic dentistry service like whitening or straightening of the teeth, dental bonding and veneers to name a few
- Looking forward to a second opinion
- Need permanent restorations
- Possess a hospital referral letter
- Have developed problems with orthodontic appliances that are non-traumatic
Above the mentioned ones, an emergency dental service will not provide you with a routine dental check-up.
The Emergency Dentist London Prois one of the most trusted clinics in and around London for emergency dental treatments. We offer quality treatments at a cost that is easily affordable. Our practice is open all seven days a week. From Monday to Saturday, we open from 9 O’clock in the morning till 8 O’clock in the evening. On Sundays, our timing is from 9 O’clock in the morning to 6 O’ clock in the evening. As a fully private clinic we usually treat patients on the same day. We are located near Bayswater near Paddington.