Dental Emergency

Treat it as urgent if you have a knocked-out adult tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling, a dental abscess, severe pain that is not controlled by over-the-counter pain relief, or a broken tooth with a sharp edge or exposed nerve.

A lost filling or crown, a cracked denture, or a broken orthodontic wire is usually urgent but not an emergency.

Facial swelling that is spreading, affecting your eye, or affecting your ability to swallow or breathe, or accompanied by fever, needs immediate medical attention. Go to a hospital emergency department rather than a dental practice.

If you are unsure, phone the practice and describe what has happened, and we will advise whether you need to be seen today.

Same-day appointments are often available, subject to availability on the day.

Marsfield Dental Care is open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 4:00pm. We are not a 24-hour or after-hours service.

Outside those hours, contact your GP, phone healthdirect on 1800 022 222, or attend a hospital emergency department if the problem is serious.

Phoning as early in the day as possible gives the greatest chance of being seen. When you call, describe the symptoms, when they started, and whether there is swelling, so the appointment can be prioritised appropriately.

Walk-ins are accommodated where the schedule allows, but phoning first is faster.

Act quickly, as reimplantation is most likely to succeed within about 30 minutes.

Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Do not scrub it, use soap, or let it dry out.

If you can, place it back into the socket and hold it in position by biting gently on a clean cloth. If that is not possible, store it in milk, or in the patient’s own saliva, but not in water.

Then get to a dentist immediately.

Do not attempt to reimplant a baby tooth, as this can damage the developing adult tooth underneath. Take the child to be seen instead.

The first priority is assessing the problem and relieving pain.

Your dentist will examine the area, take X-rays or scans if needed to see what is happening below the gum, and explain what is causing the symptoms.

Immediate treatment is aimed at settling the pain and controlling any infection. That may mean draining an abscess, dressing a tooth, placing a temporary filling, or in some cases extraction.

Definitive treatment such as a root canal, a crown, or a permanent restoration is often carried out at a later appointment once the area has settled.

Treatment by an emergency dentist in Sydney is staged this way deliberately, so decisions are made once you are comfortable. You will be told what has been done, what still needs doing, and what to expect over the next few days.

The cost depends on what is causing the problem and what treatment it needs, which cannot be determined before an examination.

We provide a quotation once the dentist has assessed the tooth and reviewed any X-rays, and we will explain the options and their costs before proceeding.

If the immediate priority is relieving pain, that can often be addressed first, with a decision about definitive treatment made afterwards rather than under pressure.

Bring your health fund card, and let us know if cost is a concern. There is usually more than one way to manage a problem, and knowing your constraints helps us set out realistic options.

Payment plans are available.