ıCare Family Dental
Emergency Dentist in Chatswood
When the problem is time-sensitive, call iCare Family Dental during our opening hours, explain what has happened and ask about the next suitable appointment.
Sudden dental pain, swelling, bleeding or a damaged tooth can be frightening. Some problems need prompt dental assessment; others need hospital care because they may affect your airway or involve a serious injury.
Do I need an emergency dentist or a hospital?
A dental emergency is a problem that needs prompt assessment to relieve severe pain, control bleeding or infection, or protect an injured tooth and the surrounding tissues. The safest next step depends on the symptoms, not simply on whether the problem started suddenly.
Dentist
Contact a dentist promptly for
- severe, persistent or worsening toothache, especially pain that disturbs sleep or makes eating difficult;
- swelling of the gum, cheek or jaw, a bad taste, fever, or a possible dental abscess;
- a cracked, broken, loose, displaced or knocked-out tooth;
- bleeding from the mouth that continues after firm pressure;
- pain or swelling after recent dental treatment;
- a lost filling or crown that leaves pain, sensitivity, a sharp edge or a damaged tooth underneath.
Even a small chip or painless lost restoration may need assessment, but it is not usually a reason to call 000 by itself.
Hospital
Go to the nearest hospital emergency department now if
- swelling is spreading across the face, towards the eye, or into the neck;
- facial or neck swelling is accompanied by fever, difficulty opening your mouth, or you are becoming very unwell;
- bleeding remains heavy or cannot be controlled with firm pressure;
- you may have a broken jaw, a significant facial injury or a head injury;
- a tooth or fragment may have been inhaled.
If any of these problems is affecting breathing, talking or swallowing, or the situation appears life-threatening, call 000 for an ambulance rather than waiting for a dental appointment.
What to do while you are waiting for dental care
These first-aid steps may help while you arrange care. If symptoms worsen, use the hospital guidance above.
Severe toothache
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Rinse gently with warm water and keep the area clean with a soft toothbrush. Choose soft foods and avoid very hot, cold or sweet foods and drinks if they trigger pain. A wrapped cold pack held against the outside of the face may help if there is swelling, and resting with your head raised can feel more comfortable than lying flat.
Ask a pharmacist which over-the-counter pain relief is suitable for you and follow the packet directions. Pain relief may reduce symptoms, but the cause still needs assessment.
Swelling, infection or a possible abscess
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Contact a dentist promptly. Use a wrapped cold pack on the outside of the face; do not apply heat.
A dental abscess does not resolve by itself. Antibiotics are sometimes part of care, but they do not remove the source of a tooth infection on their own. Go to a hospital emergency department if swelling is spreading, you cannot open your mouth properly, you have trouble swallowing, or you are becoming very unwell. Call 000 if the swelling is affecting breathing, talking or swallowing.
Bleeding from the mouth
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Sit upright. Place clean gauze or a folded clean cloth over the area and maintain firm, continuous pressure without repeatedly lifting it to check. While active bleeding continues, do not rinse unless the treating dentist has instructed otherwise.
If bleeding is heavy, is not settling with continuous pressure, or is running down the throat, seek emergency medical care. If the bleeding followed dental treatment, follow the treating dentist’s instructions. Tell the dentist or hospital team if you take aspirin, anticoagulants or other medicines that affect bleeding. Do not stop a prescribed anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicine unless the clinician who manages it tells you to.
A broken, chipped, cracked, loose or displaced tooth
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Rinse gently and avoid chewing on the injured side. If you find a tooth fragment, place it in milk or sterile saline and bring it with you. A small chip without pain or soft-tissue injury is less time-sensitive, but it should still be checked. Severe pain, movement of the tooth, visible pink tissue in the centre of a break, or associated facial injury needs more urgent assessment.
A knocked-out permanent tooth
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Act immediately. The best chance of saving a permanent tooth comes with very prompt care, ideally reaching a dentist within 30 minutes. Do not assume it is too late if more time has passed—still seek urgent help.
- Find the tooth and hold it only by the white crown, not the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it very briefly in milk or sterile saline. Do not scrub it.
- If you are certain it is a permanent tooth, the person is conscious and cooperative, and you can replace it safely, place it back in the socket in the correct position. Ask the person to bite gently on clean gauze or cloth to hold it there.
- If you cannot replace it, put it in a clean container of milk and take it with you immediately.
Do not let the tooth dry out, wrap it in tissue, soak it in water or touch the root. If iCare is unavailable, do not wait for the clinic to reopen—contact another dentist urgently or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. Call 000 if the injury also has medical red flags.
A knocked-out baby tooth
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Do not put a baby tooth back into the socket; this can damage the adult tooth developing underneath. Keep the tooth and arrange prompt dental assessment so the lips, gums, bone and other teeth can be checked.
If you are not sure whether it is a baby or permanent tooth, do not reinsert it. Place it in a clean container of milk and seek immediate dental advice.
A lost filling or crown
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Contact a dentist and explain whether the tooth is painful, sensitive, swollen or broken. Keep any crown that has come off and bring it to the appointment.
Do not use superglue. Pain, swelling, trauma or a fractured tooth makes prompt assessment more important.
What happens during an urgent dental assessment?
The first task is to understand what has happened and identify the most pressing risk. You may be asked when the symptoms or injury began, what makes the pain better or worse, whether there is swelling or bleeding, what first aid you have tried, and about your medical history, medicines and allergies.
The dentist will examine the affected tooth and surrounding tissues. Depending on the problem, the assessment may also include the way your teeth meet, movement of an injured tooth, and the face and neck. The dentist may recommend a dental X-ray or another investigation if it is clinically needed.
The next step depends on the diagnosis. It may be initial relief or stabilisation, definitive treatment, follow-up or referral. Urgent care may focus on controlling pain or bleeding, protecting damaged tissue, managing infection, or stabilising an injured tooth.
Initial relief or stabilisation is not always the final treatment
An urgent visit deals first with the problem that cannot safely or comfortably wait. Definitive treatment addresses the underlying cause and aims for a durable result.
For example, a temporary restoration may protect a tooth before a permanent filling or crown; an infected tooth may need further treatment after the immediate symptoms are managed; and an injured tooth may need follow-up checks after it is repositioned or stabilised. Depending on the diagnosis, complexity and available time, definitive care may happen at the first visit or require another appointment or referral.
See our dental services.
What affects the cost of emergency dental care?
There is no single fee that fits every dental emergency. The total can depend on:
- what the examination finds and how complex the problem is;
- whether a dental X-ray or another investigation is clinically needed;
- whether the visit involves assessment only, temporary protection or stabilisation, or definitive treatment;
- the type of procedure required and the time involved;
- whether follow-up appointments or care from another service are needed.
An examination is often needed before a meaningful estimate can be given. Ask about the expected fees and treatment options before further treatment.
Contact iCare Family Dental in Chatswood
For a time-sensitive dental problem during our opening hours, calling is the clearest way to describe what has happened and ask about the next suitable appointment. You can also use our online Consultation booking link.
- Phone: (02) 8068 6828
- Opening hours: Monday–Saturday, 10:00 am–5:30 pm; Sunday closed
- Address: Shop 3, 379 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW 2067
- Entrance: On the Archer Street side
- Parking: Two hours free parking at Chatswood Chase
- Train: About a seven-minute walk from Chatswood Station
- Consultation languages: English, Mandarin and Cantonese
If the clinic is closed and the problem may be life-threatening, call 000 or go to the nearest emergency department. For non-life-threatening health advice when you are unsure what to do, you can call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Tell us what has happened
For a time-sensitive dental problem, call during our opening hours and ask about the next suitable appointment.