Dental emergency: what to do immediately and who to contact?
A dental emergency doesn't just happen to other people.Toothache, broken teeth, damaged dentures, among others, are all problems that can occur suddenly. Very often, your regular dentist is not available to see you in his office, forcing you to turn to other solutions.
What are they? How do I contact a dentist on call? We will try to answer these questions in this page.
You can contact this on-call dentist right now by dialing the information number below:
Contenus
Who to call in a dental emergency?
Your regular dental surgeon
Whatever the nature of your problem, your first instinct should be tocall your regular dentist, if it happens to you during the hours when the office is open.
Dentists always maintain emergency slots so that they can see you within a day or even 24 hours. It is always better to be treated by someone who knows your case.
If your dentist is absent, because he is consulting at the hospital for example, and he practices within a practice, his secretary will be able to refer you to one of his colleagues in emergency. If you are based in Paris, for example, the easiest way would be to go to the nearest dental center or dental office in Paris.
24-hour dental emergencies
If your dentist really can't see you or if you are out of hours, at night, on a weekend, or on a holiday, you should contact the dental emergency service to consult an on-call dentist.
Contact the EMS or the police station
To find out as quickly as possible which dentist is on call in your town or in your area if you are in the country, contact the emergency services by dialing 15 for the SAMU, or contact the police through the police station by dialing 17.
They have access to the information of the on-call service established by the departmental council of the dental surgeons. They will therefore inform you of the on-call dentist closest to you.
The hospital's dental department
Some hospitals, although not many, have an emergency dental service. If this is the case, you can go directly to the dental center.
Nutrident's helping hand
You can also call the number below directly. This telephone information service will connect you with the dentist nearest you.
Reminder of the law on dental emergencies
Your dentist is required to see you in an emergency.
By law, a dentist is required to:
- to assist you if you are in distress;
- participate in the permanence of your care;
- ensure continuity of care if your primary care physician is not available;
- inform your regular dentist of the details of the procedure.
What to do in case of a dental emergency on Sunday?
If you are unlucky and your dental emergency occurs on a weekend, especially on Sunday, don't despair, there is always a solution. The first thing to do is to call your dental office, which usually leaves the contact information for the dentist on call on its answering machine.
If this is not the case, turn to the police station by dialing 17, or the SAMU/SMUR by dialing 15.
The other option is to go to the dental emergency room of a hospital or clinic. Not all facilities have them, so check by calling first. If they are not equipped for your situation, their on-call service will redirect you to a facility that can handle you.
How to consult a dentist in emergency at night?
If you have to deal with a dental emergency during the night, the solution depends on the area in which you live. Start by inquiring about the availability of an on-call dentist, and then with the hospitals and clinics in the nearest city.
Hospitals and clinics in large cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon or Marseille, offer quick appointments.
It's more complicated when you live far from the big cities. We advise you not to wait until you feel pain in the middle of the night to seek a solution. Find out in advance who to call when you have an emergency so you don't waste time.
How do you determine if your case is a dental emergency?
The pain
Pain is the first indicator that will make you rush to the first dental emergency unit. The pain in the teeth quickly becomes unbearable and the safety aspect should not be neglected either. Because bacteria are carried throughout the body by the saliva we swallow, an infection in the mouth can quickly become dangerous.
If you have a stabbing pain that no over-the-counter painkiller can alleviate, you won't be able to sleep or even concentrate on any task.
Pain can also come from your dentures or braces. If your dentures are not removable, if your braces are causing you long-term pain or injury, you should also consider that you have a dental emergency.
Pain is a serious cause for visiting a dental emergency room. Here are its main causes.
Pulpitis, or toothache
What is commonly called a toothache is a pulpitis.
Its causes are multiple:
- If a cavity is not treated properly or not treated at all, the infection progresses and the pain increases;
- abscesses evolve for a time “at low noise”.
- a lack of oral hygiene that leads to various infections.
Necrosis
An untreated pulpitis can degenerate into necrosis, with the premature destruction of the pulp. Necrosis is a paradise for bacteria that will take advantage of it to spread to the bone, generating an apical abscess.
The only way out of a necrosis is to devitalize the tooth and place a crown, because the tooth is too damaged and therefore weakened.
Gingivitis
If for some reason you develop gingivitis, your gums will swell and change color. The pain quickly becomes extreme and warrants a dental emergency.
Periodontitis
A periodontal infection leads to the destruction of the jawbone. This type of disease is treated in the long term, but often warrants a trip to the dental emergency room.
The injuries
If you are the victim of an accident that impacts your jaw, teeth, but also your oral space (tongue, gums, inside of cheeks), you absolutely must find the dentist on call today.
Any dental fracture or injury should be treated as soon as possible by a dental surgeon. If you have an open wound, it should be sutured to avoid prolonged bleeding and the risk of infection. Delaying intervention can cause irreparable damage, whereas nerves that are treated quickly can recover.
A tooth that has fallen out after a violent impact can be reimplanted, but every minute counts.
What to do in case of a dental emergency?
While waiting to get to the dental emergency room, a few simple steps can help ease the pain.
In case of toothache
If you know you're going to the dentist within hours, or even minutes, avoid taking medication at all costs. Your dentist will prescribe it himself and mixtures are never good.
In case of expelled tooth
A tooth that has been knocked out has a chance of being saved, but this requires a dentist to intervene within an hour of the accident. Start by cleaning your tooth by running it under water, without rubbing it to avoid damaging the flesh and nerves. If you can, put it back in its cavity. Alternatively, you can keep it under your tongue so that it bathes in saliva.
In case of a broken tooth
If you break a tooth, try to find the piece, it is possible that the dentist can glue it back with resin. Rinse your mouth with warm water while you wait for your appointment.
As with a toothache, avoid medications if you know you'll be seeing a dentist soon. Aspirin (and all its derivatives) in particular should be avoided, as it promotes bleeding.
Emergency Dentist – What to do in case of a broken tooth?
If you break a tooth, it is possible to save it. The dentist will explain how to keep your broken tooth, and what not to do if you want to have a chance of having it glued back together.
FAQ
How to find an emergency dentist?
Your first instinct when you need an emergency dentist is to call your regular practitioner. During office hours, all dentists set aside time slots for emergencies. If he has already assigned these appointments, he will switch you to a colleague who is more available and who will take care of your emergency.
If you are outside of office hours, call your dentist first. If you are lucky, he will be the dentist on call. If he or she does not answer, he or she will probably have left the contact information for the dentist on call on the answering machine or will specify which hospital or clinic in the area to call.
If this is not the case, the police station at 17 or the SAMU at 15 will inform you. You can also connect to the website of the National Order of Dentists, which must list the practitioners on duty throughout France.
What is a dental emergency?
Dental emergency is defined by the social security.
In the first case, the emergency concerns unbearable pain. They can be caused by infection or shock. In any case, you are in a lot of pain and you can't feed and express yourself properly. In the event of an accident, you have an open wound and/or one or more teeth are broken or knocked out. These symptoms make it necessary to find an on-call dentist as soon as possible.
In the second case, you have worrying symptoms in addition to your pain: difficulty breathing, fever, nausea, loss of consciousness, hot, swollen or red face and neck. In this case, you must go directly to the SAMU, by dialing 15 or 112.
In any case, you should never procrastinate. Dental infections, in addition to being very painful, can be dangerous for your health. In the event of a severe infection, if bacteria get into the bloodstream, you may suffer from sepsis, as well as very serious heart problems, which can even be fatal in exceptional cases.
How to pass a toothache in the middle of the night
When you have finally found an emergency appointment, you have to wait to get to the practitioner or the hospital. Even if it's only a few minutes, it will feel like hours, because toothache is nagging and persistent.
You should avoid taking any medications at all costs, as they may interfere with the treatment your dentist may prescribe. It is best to use an ice pack that you place on your cheek. The cold will anesthetize the muscles and flesh surrounding the area where the pulpitis occurred and the pain will decrease. At the same time, if your cheek was swollen, it should return to a more normal line.