Emergency dentist in Secunda

If a tooth is keeping you up at night, or something in your mouth is broken, bleeding or swelling, phone us now. You don't have to decide whether it "counts" as an emergency. That's our job. Tell us what happened and we'll tell you what to do next.

We don't make a same-day promise, because we won't promise what a full diary could break. What we do is this: emergencies are taken during the day, and we try to never let someone with tooth pain wait a full day, however full the books are. Phone, tell us it hurts, and we'll tell you exactly when a dentist can see you.

What counts as an emergency

Phone us the same day for any of these:

• toothache that keeps you awake or doesn't ease with ordinary painkillers
• a tooth knocked out or knocked loose
• a broken tooth that hurts, or a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek
• swelling of your gum, face or jaw
• bleeding that won't stop after an extraction
• a lost filling or crown with pain underneath

Some things feel urgent but can safely wait a day or two: a small chip with no pain, or a crown that came off cleanly. Keep the crown in a small container, book the next open slot, and avoid chewing on that side.

Toothache

Until you reach us: take the painkiller you'd normally take for a headache, exactly as the packet says. Don't hold an aspirin against the gum. It burns the tissue and doesn't help the tooth. Rinse with lukewarm salt water, keep your head raised when you lie down, and avoid very hot, cold or sweet food on that side.

A toothache that suddenly stops hurting hasn't necessarily healed. Sometimes the nerve inside the tooth has died, and the infection is still there. Come in anyway. It's a short visit that can save you a much worse week later. If the tooth's nerve is infected, the fix is usually a root canal or an extraction, and we'll talk you through both before doing anything.

Knocked-out tooth

Minutes matter here. If an adult tooth is knocked right out:

1. Pick it up by the crown (the white part you normally see). Don't touch the root.
2. If it's dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline (or cold running water for a few seconds). Don't scrub it.
3. If you can, put it straight back in its socket, the right way round, and bite gently on a clean cloth or tissue to hold it in place. Replanting within minutes gives the tooth its best chance.
4. If you can't put it back, keep it moist: in a small container of milk, or tucked inside your cheek if you can do that safely. Don't let it dry out, and don't store it in plain water.
5. Phone us and come immediately.

Don't try to push a baby tooth back into a child's gum. Bring the child and the tooth to us instead.

Broken or chipped tooth

Save any pieces in milk or water and bring them along. If the edge is sharp, a piece of sugar-free chewing gum or orthodontic wax from the pharmacy can cover it until you get here. Pain, sensitivity to cold, or a pink or red spot in the break means the inner part of the tooth may be exposed. Phone the same day. A small chip that doesn't hurt can wait for a normal appointment, and often needs no more than smoothing or a small filling.

Abscess and swelling

A throbbing tooth with a swollen gum, a bad taste, or a pimple-like bump on the gum usually means an abscess: an infection at the root of the tooth. It does not clear up on its own. Antibiotics alone may calm it, but the tooth itself still needs treatment, or the infection returns.

If swelling spreads towards your eye, your throat or your neck, or you have trouble swallowing or breathing, don't wait for a dental appointment. Go to the nearest emergency room or casualty immediately. That is a medical emergency first and a dental one second.

After hours

We don't run an after-hours service, so here is the honest guidance for the middle of the night. Severe facial swelling (especially anything affecting your eye, your throat or your breathing), bleeding that won't stop, or an injury to your face belongs at the hospital emergency unit, now. Anything else can safely wait the hours until we open: phone us the moment we do and say it's an emergency. We're also open on alternate Saturdays. Phone to check whether this week is one of them.

What an emergency visit costs

We can't quote a price over the phone for a tooth we haven't seen. Anyone who does is guessing. If you're on a medical aid, bring your card or details. We'll help you work out what your plan is likely to cover.

If it can wait until tomorrow, you can also book a normal slot directly in one of our dentists' diaries: you pick a real time, not a callback.

Frequently asked questions

I'm not a VitalDent patient. Can I still phone?

Yes. You don't need to be an existing patient. Phone and tell us what happened.

Should I take antibiotics I have at home?

No. Leftover antibiotics may be the wrong type or dose, and taking them can mask the problem without fixing it. Let the dentist see the tooth first.

My child knocked a tooth loose. Same rules?

Phone us the same day. Don't wiggle the tooth or push it back, and never try to re-insert a baby tooth. Soft food only until we've seen your child.

The pain went away. Do I still need to come in?

Yes. Pain that disappears on its own often means the nerve has died, not that the problem has passed. The infection can carry on quietly and surface later as an abscess.

Can I just wait and see for a few days?

With a mild niggle, sometimes. With real pain, swelling or a knocked-out tooth, waiting makes the treatment bigger and the bill bigger. Phoning costs nothing. We'll tell you honestly whether it can wait.