Dental Emergency in Perth & Subiaco
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The Types of Dental Emergencies
Not sure if your situation meets the definition of a “dental emergency”? According to AIHW data, there were about 88,600 potentially preventable hospital visits for dental conditions in 2023-24. Below are some common reasons to see an emergency dentist in Perth. If you’re not sure, call us for personalised advice.
Toothache
A toothache that keeps you up at night, throbs, or doesn’t settle with over-the-counter pain relief needs looking at. It can point to decay, a cracked tooth, or an infection starting under the gum.
What you can do: Rinse with warm water, gently floss both sides of the tooth to clear any trapped food, and take pain relief as directed on the packet. Call us if the pain is severe or lasts more than a day.
Don’t: Hold aspirin against the gum as it can burn the tissue, or take more pain relief than the packaging or your doctor recommends.
Dental Abscess
An abscess is a pocket of infection that forms around the root of a tooth or in the surrounding gum. It’s usually felt as a bad throbbing ache, a bad taste, or a tender lump on the gum. It won’t clear on its own and needs prompt treatment to prevent the infection spreading.
What you can do: Keep the area clean, rinse gently with warm salt water, and take pain relief as directed on the packet. Contact us as soon as possible for an assessment or call 000 if you have facial swelling that’s spreading, a fever, or any trouble breathing or swallowing.
Don’t: Ignore swelling, try to burst or drain it, or rely on antibiotics alone to fix it, as the tooth still needs proper treatment.
Lost Filling or Crown
A filling or crown that comes out usually isn’t painful straight away, but the exposed tooth can be sharp and sensitive to hot and cold.
What you can do: Keep the crown if possible, as it can sometimes go back on. Chew on the other side, and call us to arrange a time to check and restore the tooth.
Don’t: Use household glue or DIY kits to reattach a crown, or chew on the exposed tooth as it may cause further damage.
Knocked-Out Tooth
A knocked-out adult tooth is a dental emergency where time really matters. The best chance of saving it is getting it back in the socket or into milk, and to us within 30 to 60 minutes.
What you can do: Pick the tooth up by the crown (white part), not the root. Rinse it briefly in milk without scrubbing. If possible, place it gently back in the socket, or keep it in milk or in your cheek until you can see an emergency dentist.
Don’t: Touch the root, scrub the tooth, store it in water, or try to put a knocked-out baby tooth back in, as that can damage the adult tooth forming underneath.
Broken Tooth
A chipped or broken tooth can range from a rough edge to a painful break that exposes the nerve. How it’s fixed depends on how much tooth is lost.
What you can do: Rinse gently with warm water, avoid chewing on that side, and keep any broken pieces if you can find them. Use a cold compress on the cheek if there is swelling and contact us for an assessment.
Don’t: Chew on the broken tooth or ignore a sharp edge, as this can cause more damage to your tongue or cheek.
Immediate Steps for Common Dental Emergencies
Toothache
- Rinse your mouth gently with warm water.
- Floss gently to clear any trapped food
- Take pain relief as directed on the packet if safe.
- Avoid holding aspirin against the gum.
- Call us if the pain is severe or lasts more than a day.
Dental abscess
- Rinse with warm salt water.
- Take pain relief as directed.v
- Call us for an urgent appointment. Antibiotics alone won’t fix the cause.
- Go to a hospital or call 000 if you have swelling, a fever, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.
Lost filling or crown
- Keep the area clean and chew on the other side.
- Keep the crown or filling if you have it, and bring it in.
- Cover a sharp edge with a little sugar-free gum as a temporary measure.
- Call us to book a proper repair, and avoid glues or DIY repair kits.
Knocked-out tooth
- Hold the tooth by the crown, not the root.
- Rinse briefly in milk if it’s dirty.
- Try to place it gently in the socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If you can’t, keep it in milk or in your cheek.
- See an emergency dentist in Perth within the hour.
Broken tooth
- Rinse gently with warm water.
- Keep any fragments in milk or saliva to bring with you.
- Hold a cold compress on the cheek to ease swelling.
- Use over-the-counter pain relief if needed and safe.
- Call us to arrange an assessment.
- Avoid chewing on that side.
Perth Dental Emergency FAQs
Not sure whether your situation is urgent? These common questions cover when pain counts as an emergency and how emergency dentists in Perth work.
A knocked-out adult tooth can sometimes be saved when you receive dental care quickly. Handle it by the crown, avoid touching the root and keep it in milk if you can’t put it back into position. Call a dentist immediately. A knocked-out baby tooth should not be replanted.
Dental pain is an emergency when it’s severe, keeps you awake, or doesn’t ease with over-the-counter pain relief. Pain with facial swelling, a fever, or a bad taste can point to an infection that needs prompt treatment. Milder, occasional twinges are usually less urgent, but they’re still worth a call if you’re worried. We can check what’s behind them before they get worse.
A dental abscess needs treating, so call us as soon as you notice one. In the meantime, rinse with warm salt water and take pain relief as directed. Antibiotics alone won’t fix the cause. The tooth still needs proper treatment by an emergency dentist in Perth.
Go straight to a hospital emergency department or call 000 if you have spreading facial swelling, a fever, or any trouble breathing or swallowing.
The cost of emergency dentistry in Perth depends on what is causing the problem and what treatment is needed. Your appointment may involve an examination and X-rays before your dentist can recommend treatment. We’ll explain the likely costs once we know what needs to be done. If further treatment is required, you can also ask us about Payment Plans to help spread the cost of larger work.