Hopefully, most of you are managing to stay healthy and free of dental problems during this difficult and unprecedented time. There will be a few of you that develop dental concerns and might be anxious about the closure of dental practices across the country. We wanted to reassure you that help is still available and some problems can be managed at home. We’ve put this guide together to help you find urgent care if you need it and advice on what to do at home for common non-urgent dental problems.
Urgent Dental Treatment
These are conditions that will need to be seen by a dentist and should not be ignored.
- Facial swelling extending to the eye or neck
- Uncontrolled bleeding following trauma
- Broken tooth that is painful
- Adult tooth that has been knocked out due to trauma
- Toothache preventing sleep, eating or associated with swelling that is not manageable with painkillers
If you are suffering with any of the above please call 111 immediately. They will direct you to an emergency facility with the appropriate PPE to manage your dental treatment.
Straight to A&E
You should go straight to A&E for the following:
- Facial swelling affecting you breathing, vision or preventing you opening your mouth more that 2 fingers width
- Trauma causing loss of consciousness, double vision or vomiting.
Non Urgent Care
The following conditions are considered non urgent and will need to wait until dental practices reopen. We have included some advice on how to manage these problems at home
- Bleeding gums: this is not a dental emergency and may be a sign of gingivitis or gum disease. Brush twice daily and be sure to concentrate brushing along the gum line. Floss or use interdental brushes daily to remove debris from the in between teeth.
- Lost or loose crowns or bridges and veneers: if you are not in pain keep the crown, veneer or bridge safe until you can see a dentist to have it re-cemented.
- Broken, loose or lost filling: keep the area clean and try not to chew on hard or sticky food.
- Chipped teeth no pain: Keep clean and avoid very hard food. If sensitive use sensitive toothpaste daily.
- Loose brackets or orthodontic wire: Do not attempt to fix this unless the wire can be put back easily.
- Discomfort from wisdom teeth: In cases of moderate to mild discomfort without swelling, we advice painkillers, warm salty water rinses and soft food. Keep the area clean but if a swelling appears or you have difficulty swallowing call 111.
- Sensitive teeth: this is a common problem and may be due to a number of reasons. Whilst you can’t see a dentist to establish the cause, start using sensitive toothpaste twice daily as part of your normal brushing routine. For very a sensitive tooth/teeth, apply sensitive toothpaste directly to the area and leave without rinsing. Prevention over cure.
Remember to keep up with a healthy routine of brushing and inter dental cleaning, as well as maintaining a balanced diet. It’s mush easier to prevent problems than it is to cure them, many dental problems can be avoided through the right care.
We hope this helps but please remember we are still answering calls and emails so feel free to get in touch if you need to speak to us.
As promised we will keep you updated with any new information and will notify you as soon as we are able to re open.
Wishing you all well and we hope to welcome you back to the practice in the very near future.
The Bright & White Dental Team
