Emergencies

If you have an emergency during normal opening times, please telephone reception immediately. An appointment will be made to see you as soon as possible. We have times allocated for emergencies every day. If you have a problem outside normal hours, please ring the practice where a message is always present on the answerphone. This informs you what to do and gives you the telephone numbers of our deputising service, who provide a round-the-clock service every day of the year. Please use this service in real emergency only. This number is also available on your emergency dental services card.

Please remember that no one knows your dental history like your dentist. Whenever at all possible it is preferable to wait and see your own dentist.

As a general guideline, the following are normally regarded as dental emergencies which require early attention:

• Bleeding from a tooth socket after an extraction.
• Facial swelling which is worsening rapidly.
• Trauma to mouth or teeth.

Dental pain which settles down or reduces after the taking of analgesics (Paracetamol/Aspirin etc.) is not a dental emergency.

Patients who attend regularly for dental care and treatment normally have less dental  emergencies.