If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve needed emergency dental care, you’ll know how stressful this can be. But, it shouldn’t have to be. Having an emergency dentist in Bristol you can rely on can help you to feel much more reassured in those times when you do need unexpected care.
Here at The Bristol Dental Practice, we can offer emergency dental care for patients living inside and outside of Bristol. We’re here for you when you need us the most.
However, it can be hard to know what kind of problem constitutes a dental emergency. Let’s take a look at a few scenarios where you might need to call upon emergency dental care here in Bristol.
Common issues that are NOT a dental emergency
There are a few issues that patients commonly believe are classed as an emergency, but in actual fact, these can wait until you’re able to get a regular check-up. These include:
Mild toothache: new cases of mild to moderate toothache can wait. However, if you experience toothache after a knock, or you’re suffering from toothache that’s rapidly worsening, you may need to seek out emergency dental care here in Bristol.
Missing crown or filling: whilst a missing crown or filling may put you at the top of your dentist’s list for a scheduled appointment, these problems don’t necessitate an emergency appointment.
Dental trauma
Dental trauma is common and can affect the mouth, teeth, lips, gums, tongue and jawbone. If you’ve sustained a knock to the mouth area, you should contact an emergency dentist here in Bristol, even if it’s a Saturday.
A sudden knock to the mouth will need to be investigated, particularly if any blood is present. In some cases where trauma is severe and has knocked a tooth loose, early intervention can save the tooth from needing to be extracted, thanks to a root canal treatment.
Chipped, cracked or broken teeth
Chips, cracks and breaks can happen for all kinds of reasons including partaking in contact sports and opening bottles with your mouth. To ensure damage limitation, contact us as soon as possible, so that we can examine the extent of the damage and protect your tooth.
Knocked out tooth
Contacting an emergency dentist as soon as possible when you’ve knocked out a tooth will make it more likely that it’s able to be reinserted.
If you knock out a tooth, pick it up (avoiding the root), clean and rinse, but do not scrub it.
Severe toothache
Toothache that stops you from getting on with your normal routine warrants investigation as soon as possible. Seek emergency dental care in Bristol here with us at The Bristol Dental Practice if you’re suffering with severe toothache, even if you’re not sure what has caused it.
Wisdom tooth pain
When your wisdom teeth start to cause you intense pain, it could be an indication that they’re ready to come out, or that there is an infection present; the latter is usually accompanied by a bad taste in the mouth.
Intense wisdom tooth pain can radiate to your mouth and head, making it incredibly hard to concentrate on anything other than the pain, so it’s imperative that you reverse these unpleasant symptoms as soon as possible, to stop them from worsening.
Swelling (salivary gland infection)
A salivary gland infection occurs when your salivary glands become blocked. Unfortunately, there is no concrete explanation as to why this happens, but making sure you avoid having a dry mouth can help. When a gland becomes blocked, this can be accompanied by swelling in the side of your face and intense pain that makes it extremely tough to swallow.
You will need to make an emergency dentist appointment with us here in Bristol, as antibiotics are required to clear up the infection. Your dentist may also attempt to unblock the gland to alleviate your symptoms.
How can I reduce my chances of needing an emergency dentist in Bristol?
Sometimes, emergency dentist appointments just can’t be avoided. However, there are some things you can do to reduce the possibility of needing one.
Visit for routine dentist appointments: the more regularly you see us, the greater the chances are that any underlying dental issue will be picked up on.
Invest in a sports mouthguard: if you’re a contact sports enthusiast, a custom-made dental sports mouthguard can protect your teeth considerably more effectively than shop bought designs. These will reduce the possibility of damage as a result of dental trauma when partaking in sports such as rugby, hockey and boxing, to name just a few.
Maintain a good oral hygiene routine: making sure your mouth isn’t constantly dealing with acid attacks, dryness and plaque build up can help to reduce the possibility of infections and blocked salivary glands.
Emergency cover under our payment plan
Among the benefits of being a member of our payment plan is that you are covered for out-of-hours dental emergencies at both home and if you suffer a dental emergency when abroad. Within the UK, you can call a dental helpline which will put you in contact with a nearby dentist who can help you. However, if you are overseas, the helpline will put you in touch with an English speaking dentist.
Contact The Bristol Dental Practice for emergency dental care in Bristol
Do you need an emergency dentist in Bristol on a Saturday? Should you find yourself in one of the scenarios above, we can offer weekend emergency dental care so please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you’re ever in doubt about whether or not to contact an emergency dentist, it’s always best to have yourself checked over.
Contacting us for emergency dental care here in Bristol will allow us to confirm whether you require further treatment, or if you simply need to care for your teeth from home.