Urgent dental care in Chennai

Common emergencies

What to do until you reach us

If you have any of these, call us straight away.

• Severe toothache

  Rinse with lukewarm salt water and gently floss around the tooth to remove any trapped food.Do not take any medication on you own and do not apply any balms on the surface. Don’t put a tablet on the tooth or gum, as it can burn the gum.

• Swelling of the face, jaw or gums

  Hold a cold pack against your cheek for 15 minutes at a time. Don’t use heat. If the swelling spreads towards your eye or neck, or you have a fever or find it hard to swallow, go to a hospital emergency department.

• A knocked-out tooth

  Pick it up by the crown, not the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or cold water without scrubbing. Push it back into its socket if you can and bite on a clean cloth, or keep it in milk or in your own saliva. Come in straight away: a tooth put back within an hour has the best chance. Don’t put back a baby tooth.

• A tooth knocked loose or out of place

  Gently press it back into position with light finger pressure, without forcing it, and bite down to hold it there. Come in immediately

• A broken or cracked tooth

  Keep any pieces in milk or your own saliva. Hold a cold pack to your cheek to ease swelling, and avoid chewing on that side.

• Bleeding that won’t stop

  Bite firmly on folded clean gauze or cloth for 30 minutes without checking it. Don’t rinse, spit or drink through a straw. If it’s still bleeding after that, call us.

• Pain after a tooth is taken out

  Pain that gets worse two to four days after an extraction can be a dry socket, which we can treat. Don’t poke the socket; call us.

• An abscess or a painful lump on the gum

  Rinse with warm salt water a few times a day. An abscess needs treatment even if the pain eases, so call us.

• A painful, swollen wisdom tooth

  Rinse with warm salt water and keep the area clean. Call us, especially if it’s hard to open your mouth or to swallow.

• A lost filling or crown

  Keep the crown and bring it with you. Avoid chewing on that side until we’ve seen you.

• A cut to the lips, tongue or cheek

  Rinse gently, then press a clean cloth on the cut for 15 minutes. Hold a cold pack to the area to reduce swelling. If it won’t stop bleeding, go to a hospital emergency department.

• An injury to the jaw

  Hold a cold pack to your jaw. If you think it may be broken, or you can’t open or close your mouth properly, go to a hospital emergency department.