Emergencies

Many things can cause toothache, including decay, cracks, loose fillings and infection. Only a dentist is able to diagnose the cause of your toothache, so please contact us on 020 3146 2123 to make an appointment. In the meantime, you can use over the counter painkillers to help control the pain. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen (if you can take it) can be taken together. Please take in accordance with instructions on the box. You may find it more comfortable to have a soft diet and avoid eating on that side.

Tooth sensitivity is one of the most common issues that are reported. There are a few reasons why your teeth may be sensitive, such as tooth decay, loose fillings, recession of the gums.

If your teeth appear to be longer than they used to, it is likely you have recession which has exposed part of the root of the tooth. This can cause a sharp sensation which lasts a second and then settles. You can use a toothpaste with a desensitising agent in it such as colgateprosensitive or Sensodyne repair and protect over the tooth to provide some relief by sealing the root surface.

Please contact us on 020 3146 2123 for an emergency appointment.

There are a number of reasons why your gum can be swollen, including food trapping, gum disease or infection. If you suffer from bleeding when brushing, pay particular attention to the areas that bleed and use interdental brushes to clean between your teeth.

In the meantime, you can rinse with warm salt-water as outlined below.

• Get a glass of hot water and let it cool down to warm to touch
• Dissolve a teaspoon of salt and mix fully
• Take a sip and swish around your mouth, holding it in the area of swelling for a few seconds before spitting out
• Repeat until the glass is empty
• You can do this 3-4x daily until you are able to come and see us. Alternatively, you can also use Corsodyl mouthwash twice a day.

One of the main reasons why wisdom teeth are painful is due to a lack of space for them to come through the gum. This causes a gum flap to form over the tooth as part of it pokes out of the gum and results in food trapping in the area. The food and associated bacteria then causes the gum to swell and become inflamed and painful.

The best way to manage this is to ensure you are cleaning your wisdom teeth well to start with on a daily basis using an interspace brush as shown below.

Over the counter painkillers can also help manage any associated pain, but use in accordance with instructions given on the box. Warm salt-water rinses or Corsodyl mouthwash is also beneficial and can bring relief.

Contact us today on 020 3146 2123 to see one of our team for advice about your wisdom tooth as many people have recurring problems with them.

A broken tooth could be a previous filling that has come away or part of your tooth that has broken. A tooth normally only breaks if there is a weakness in the structure itself as a result of thinning of the tooth, too much force on the tooth or trauma.

If your tooth is sensitive, you can use a desensitising toothpaste such as colgate pro-relief or Sensodyne repair and protect to manage the symptoms until you come and see us.

The only way to give you relief if this happens is if still possible, to rebuild the tooth that has broken. Contact us now to book in for your appointment on 020 3146 2123

Whether it is your crown, veneer or onlay, on occasion the cement that is used to place your restoration on the tooth can degrade and can cause it to de-cement.

If this happens, please keep the restoration safe and bring it with you when you come to your appointment, as usually, we can clean it up and cement it back in. If the restoration has been out of your mouth for a while, sometimes, we may need to adjust it as your teeth can move around the area. If you have lost the crown or it simply does not fit anymore, you may need a new restoration altogether.

If your crown is loose, but has not yet come off, we still advise that you come and see us to have it checked. Contact us for an appointment as soon as you can on 020 3146 2123.

Ulcers can occur due to a number of reasons – stress, trauma, vitamin or iron deficiency amongst others. To give you relief until you see us, you can use bonjela to soothe the ulcer if you can access it. If you need a more targeted method, you can use difflam spray which is available over the counter from your pharmacy.

Note – bonjela teething gel numbs the ulcer, normal bonjela does not contain a numbing agent.

Tooth fractures can vary in extent from a minor chip, to complete fracture of a tooth at gum level. Whichever extent it is, we would strongly advise to attend to see a dentist as soon as possible in order to diagnose the problem and treat it accordingly. Some tooth fractures are not always so obvious and may need an x ray to confirm it.

Minor chips or cracks can be quite easily repaired on the same day, and we would advise to see a dentist as soon as possible if you are receiving pain to hot and cold things, which could mean that the nerve is involved. In the meantime, we would advise against eating anything on the tooth until it is assessed properly.

If your tooth has completed been knocked out of your mouth it is crucial to replace it back into its socket as soon as possible. Any debris or dirt needs to be removed from the tooth before it can be put back. Avoid touching the root of the tooth. If it can’t be replaced, put the tooth in a glass of cold milk and attend the dentist as soon as possible, even without an appointment.

If your tooth has been knocked out of position, it is important to have it repositioned with a dentist to stop it affecting the way your teeth come together when biting.

This is usually a straightforward procedure depending on how the denture has broken. Pop in to see one of our experienced dentists to get your denture repaired as soon as possible.