Knocked-Out Tooth to Swollen Face: What To Do in a Dental Emergency

Dental emergencies are stressful — but the right first aid genuinely changes outcomes. Here's what to do before you reach us.

Knocked-out (avulsed) tooth

Time is everything — a tooth reimplanted within 30–60 minutes has the best chance of survival.

1. Pick it up by the crown, never the root
2. Rinse briefly in milk or saline if dirty — don't scrub
3. Try to gently place it back in the socket and bite on gauze
4. If that's not possible, store it in milk or inside your cheek — never in water or tissue
5. Call us immediately

Severe toothache

• Rinse with warm salty water
• Take your usual painkillers (ibuprofen works well for dental pain if you can take it)
• Never put aspirin directly on the gum — it burns tissue
• A cold compress on the cheek helps

Facial swelling

Swelling with fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing is a medical emergency — go to A&E / the ER. Otherwise call us: spreading dental infection needs urgent treatment, not just antibiotics.

Broken tooth or lost filling/crown

• Save any fragments or the crown itself
• Cover sharp edges with sugar-free gum or dental wax from a pharmacy
• Avoid chewing on that side

Bleeding after an extraction

Bite firmly on a clean gauze or cloth for 20 minutes. Repeat once. Persistent bleeding after that — call us.

Same-day help: we reserve emergency slots every weekday. Call early, describe your symptoms, and we'll triage you in.