A dental emergency is one of the most unpleasant experiences we can have, because it affects a part of the body that is very sensitive and very personal to us.
What Is a Dental Emergency?
A dental emergency can mean a broad spectrum of things, depending on subjectivity, but in the profession we define it as:
- Uncontrollable bleeding
- Uncontrollable swelling or infection
- Intolerable pain
- Dental trauma
Dental trauma is possibly the worst of these, because it goes from zero to an emergency in a very short space of time and very unpredictably. The other emergencies tend to be predicated on something else happening in the days or hours beforehand. Here is how to manage each in turn.
Dental Trauma
Depending on how the trauma happened and what has happened, it may require the attention of a dentist and an x-ray. If you have bumped your head, you may need to go to A&E for an x-ray of the wider area around your face and brain.
When it comes to the soft tissues, we assess for lacerations and bruising, and whether anything is required in terms of cleaning or stitching broken gum and lip tissue. When it comes to the teeth themselves, they can be repaired with composite bonding, ceramics or a crown. At worst, depending on the damage, you may need root canal treatment or even to lose the tooth.
This all depends on the nature of the damage, and tooth fractures come in different levels. We classify them as:
- Enamel fracture
- Enamel and dentine fracture
- Enamel and pulp fracture
The teeth can also move, which we call luxation injuries. This can happen palatally, buccally, intrusively or extrusively, and we document all of it when we see you.
Contact us at Marylebone Smile Clinic if you have suffered a dental trauma and need our help.
Uncontrollable Bleeding
This can happen due to medical issues or a recent extraction, for example of a wisdom tooth, or after a recent implant or other surgical procedure. Depending on which it is, contact your dentist immediately and we can give you advice.
Treatment can involve certain medications to stop the bleeding. Compression and time are the two other things that can slow down the bleeding. If it does not stop, seek A&E help immediately.
Contact us at Marylebone Smile Clinic if we can help.
Uncontrollable Swelling
Swelling is often an indication of an infection, but it is not a guarantee, so you need an x-ray and an examination of the tooth. Contact us at the clinic and we can give you advice, take an x-ray and examine the site.
Intolerable Pain
This one is wide-ranging. The pain can be tooth-related (odontogenic), gum-related, or neuropathic, arising from the nerve supply running to the cheek and the teeth. One example is trigeminal neuralgia, which is quite a rare condition but possible, and gives severe pain.
Depending on which it is, we can assist with pain management medication, both over-the-counter and prescription only. If this does not work, and it is something to do with the nerve system and how it works for you, we can also offer referral to oral medicine. Occasionally it requires dental treatment to remove the nerve, that is, a root canal treatment, to actually fix the problem. Which one it is depends on your situation.
Contact our team and we will be able to give you advice over the phone or by video call.
In Closing
A dental emergency is an unpleasant experience and something we all dread. If it does happen, this article aims to give you some reassurance that there is a solution for almost all dental emergencies, from a single chipped tooth all the way to losing multiple teeth in a high-energy road traffic incident.
We wish these things never occurred to people. However, if one does occur to you, feel free to get in touch with us and we will be able to help.
Dentist at Marylebone Smile Clinic and an Accredited member of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
GDC number: 258353. Last reviewed: 9 November 2026