If you are in pain, please contact us as early as possible during opening hours and we will do our best to arrange a same day appointment. Click here to learn about our walk in service
Out of Hours
Outside of opening hours, please leave a message on the answer phone and email us at info@ballybuniondental.ie and we will contact you as soon as the practice reopens to arrange an urgent appointment. The following advice will help you manage emergencies until you are seen by a dentist:
Toothache
- Rinse with warm water and gently use dental floss to ensure there is no food or other debris caught between your teeth.
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Avoid extremes of hot and cold if they stimulate pain. Some types of dental pain may be relieved by holding cold water or crushed ice around the tooth.
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Take over the counter painkillers such as Ibuprofen (Nurofen) and/or Paracetamol. Check with your pharmacist and follow the recommended dose.
- Severe pain from the mouth or teeth sometimes feels worse when lying flat. Try lying propped up as this might ease the pain.
Broken Tooth
- Avoid extremes of hot and cold.
- Keep the tooth clean by gently rinsing with warm water.
- Temporary fillings are available from most chemists and can be used to temporarily cover broken teeth.
Knocked Out Tooth
- Make sure the tooth is an adult tooth. Baby teeth should not be put back in.
- Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part). Avoid touching the root as this can damage the membrane which is essential to saving the tooth.
- If the tooth is dirty wash it briefly (10 seconds) using milk, saline solution or cold running water.
- Put the tooth back in place using the teeth at either side of the gap to guide positioning. Once repositioned, the injured person should bite on a piece of cloth/kitchen towel to hold the tooth in place until the dentist splints it.
- If the tooth cannot be replanted immediately it can be carried either inside the injured person’s mouth between the teeth and the inside of the cheek or stored in milk.
Cut Lip Or Cheek
- Apply ice to injured areas to help control swelling.
- If there is bleeding, apply firm but gentle pressure with a piece of cloth/kitchen towel.
Bleeding Following Tooth Extraction
- Blood stained saliva is normal after dental extractions.
- Make a small pad with a piece of cloth/kitchen towel and dampen it slightly with water.
- Rinse the mouth once only with warm (not hot) water to get rid of the blood.
- Place the damp pad over the socket area and bite firmly. Maintain this while sitting upright quietly for 20 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
- After the bleeding has stopped remain rested and as upright as possible.
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Do not disturb the blood clot in the socket.
Pain Following Tooth Extraction
- It is normal to experience some pain for a few days after tooth extraction.
- Use of over-the-counter analgesics is usually enough to ease the pain. Paracetamol or ibuprofen (Nurofen) are recommended. Check with your pharmacist and follow the recommended dose.
- Aspirin based drugs should be avoided because aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding.
Pain Following Tooth Extraction (Dry Socket)
- If the extraction area starts to get more painful after a couple of days you may have a ‘Dry Socket’. This can occur infrequently and unpredictably after the removal of any tooth.
- Avoid smoking.
- Rinse with salt in lukewarm water and/or chlorhexidine (Corsodyl, Perio Kin) mouthrinse.
- Take paracetamol and/or ibubrofen (Nurofen). Check with your pharmacist and follow the recommended dose.
- Contact us to arrange an urgent appointment to flush out any debris in the socket, place a medicated dressing and prescribe further medication if required.
For severe out of hour problems such as uncontrollable pain, uncontrollable bleeding or swelling which is impeding your breathing you should call a doctor or visit the local A & E department.