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View available appointment time slots and book in at your convenience 24/7.

Just upload a few photos of your teeth and get your free smile without leaving your home!

us with your details and we’ll get in touch

To-Dos during Dental Emergencies 

Our London emergency centre located on Camden Road in the City of London, offers the most comprehensive emergency dental service for the whole of the London area

What to Do During Common Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies often strike when you least expect them. Whether it’s a sudden toothache, a chipped tooth, or a dental abscess, knowing what to do before you reach your dentist in Camden or London can make a big difference. At NW1 Dental Care, we’ve put together this guide to help you take the right steps while you arrange urgent treatment.

Toothache: Tooth pain may happen due to a variety of reasons. To help ease the discomfort try to clean the mouth by rinsing out the mouth with warm saltwater or flossing the teeth carefully. head elevated while sleeping can also help as can placing a cold compress on the cheek to keep the area cold and take down any inflammation. You may also use over the counter painkillers to ease the pain but shouldn’t use painkillers gels as they might burn the gum tissues and cause additional discomfort. You should also avoid any sugary or acidic foods, avoid extremes of temperatures – hot drinks and very cold foods. You need to visit the dentist as soon as possible to help alleviate pain, know the cause for examined, and prevent the spread of infection.

Abscesses: A dental abscess is a bacterial infection that develops in the gums, tooth, or bone around the infected gum area. They are normally very painful and won’t go away on their own so need to be seen by a dentist. If left untreated it could lead to infected gums, tooth loss, and even spread to other parts of the body. Book an emergency appointment with your dentist if there is pain, visible swelling, and redness in the mouth. In the meantime, you can minimize the pain and pus formation by rinsing with lukewarm salty water and apply a cold to ease any swelling in the mouth.

Chipped / Broken Teeth: Keep the broken piece of your tooth fragments that you might find so you can take them to the dentist. Clean the injured area, rinse with lukewarm water, place a cold compress over the injured area to help relieve the pressure, and place gauze to stop any bleeding. Call the dentist immediately to make an emergency appointment.

teeth: Keep the tooth as modern dentistry makes it possible to carry out full restoration and save it provided the treatment is out soon. If an adult tooth is knocked out then hold it carefully by the crown, avoid touching the roots. Only if it is dirty then very briefly wash it under running water. Don’t scrub or remove any tissue and try to put the tooth back into position or hold it in position (not advisable for children). If that’s not feasible then place it in some milk and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT/BHRT) telephone to get an urgent dental appointment with the emergency dentist.

Tooth sensitivity: If you suffering from tooth sensitivity then you need to reduce sugar in your diet, avoid any hot or cold foods and drinks. You can continue to brush and floss and apply sensitive toothpaste, like Sensodyne or Colgate, directly onto the affected area and try leaving it on overnight if possible.

Wisdom toothache: Wisdom tooth pain is normally caused by inflammation of the gum over the erupting tooth. Most of the time the pain settles within a few days to a week but as the pain can often become worse with biting so you need to move to a soft food diet. It important that you continue to clean your wisdom teeth thoroughly even if it is painful as it will help in healing. You can apply a cold compress or use warm salty water or mouthwash like Corsodyl which helps in alleviating pain but avoid using it for longer than a week as it may cause in teeth. However, if you have difficulty in swallowing, swelling, or struggle to open your mouth then you seek dental advice. You may need antibiotics if there is a spreading infection.

Mouth ulcers: Everyone can get ulcers but they usually heal in 7-10 days. To ease the pain at home, use ulcer relief gels such as Bonjela, clean the area with warm salty mouth rinses, move to a soft diet without spicy or very sour foods, and keep up with the oral hygiene to encourage healing.  However, if ulcers haven’t disappeared after 2 weeks then visit your dentist.

Partially dislodged (extruded) tooth: It is essential to see a dentist as soon as you can to save your tooth. To help with the pain you can take over the counter painkillers or apply a cold pack or ice to relieve the pain until you reach the dental clinic.

Lost filling: An open area on a tooth can make the area sensitive or have sharp edges so the first thing would be to cover it with a temporary filling material available at pharmacies or sugar-free gum to plug the area until you can be seen by the dentist. Once you get seen by the dentist who can then replace the lost filling.

Lost crown: You need to make an emergency appointment to see a dentist as soon as you can if you lose a crown as what’s left of the tooth might not be as strong as the crown and without the crown, the teeth might get more damaged. Sometimes the teeth may move into crowns place and then the crown may no longer fit so don’t wait for too long to see your dentist and take the crown with you to get it . If unable to come to the dentist straight away then use dental cement, fix, toothpaste, or even sugar-free gum to stick it in place. Do NOT use super glue!!  

Trapped objects between teeth: Try flossing or use a fine interdental brush (eg tepe brush) to remove the object. Afterward, rinse with warm salt water to keep any traumatized area clean. If it is too painful or tricky to remove then make an appointment to be seen by the dentist.

Broken braces or wires: If try to gently move it back into position with a cotton swab or pencil eraser. If the wire is protruding then cover the pointed end with orthodontic wax until you see your dentist fix it. In the meantime, rinse your mouth thoroughly with salt water or antiseptic rinse to lessen the discomfort, and if you still in pain take over the counter painkillers. to keep brushing and cleaning around the wires and avoid hard or crunchy food and stick to a soft diet to avoid further damage.

Loose brackets and bands: Dental wax can help temporarily set the loose braces and protect the soft tissues until you are seen by your dentist to get them fixed. Note it is important to see the dentist as the longer your braces are loose or broken the more time it will take to complete your orthodontic treatment.

Soft tissue injuries: Soft tissue injuries lead to a lot of bleeding and may need to require emergency treatment. Dentists are trained to examine and repair damage to soft tissues but a doctor and oral surgeons in emergency rooms take care of serious cases. To ease the pain rinse your mouth with salt water, while applying gauze (or sanitary napkin or any clean piece of material that will soak up blood and saliva) or cold compress against the injured area to control bleeding and reduce swelling.

Bleeding Gums: Bleeding gums normally indicate gum disease and will not stop until you improve your oral hygiene. Not treating gum disease can lead to bad breath and tooth loss. Brushing, flossing twice a day, and use mouthwashes may help with the bleeding, but you must be seen by the dentist to evaluate the gums and make a bespoke regime to stop the .

Swelling: Place a cold over the cheek if swelling is present or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel. Keep the area with warm salt water to help reduce swelling. Call to make an dental appointment. If you start having difficulties with swallowing or breathing then go to A&E. 

Bleeding after tooth removal: Create pressure on the area to help stop bleeding by biting onto a thick clean small cotton napkin or gauze piece. Do not rinse the mouth out as you will end up dislodging any forming blood clot. Call to make an emergency appointment with the dentist.

Pain after tooth extraction: If the pain you feel after an extraction feels much worse to before the extraction, you may have a dry socket or localised infection in the area. You will need to make an appointment to be seen by the dentist to clean the area and possibly need . In the meantime, use salt water mouthwashes to help clear away any debris that may be irritating the area and avoid smoking.

When to Call an Emergency Dentist in Camden & London

If you’re unsure whether your problem is an emergency, it’s best to call. Our team at NW1 Dental Care offers:

Same-day emergency dentist appointments in Camden, London

for toothache, infections, broken teeth, and trauma

Welcoming care for both registered and new patients

Call or Book Online to get fast relief.

Final Word

Dental emergencies can be scary, but knowing what to do in those first few minutes can protect your teeth and ease discomfort. The most important step? Contact your local emergency dentist in Camden or London as soon as possible.

At NW1 Dental Care, we’re here to provide urgent, same-day dental treatment when you need it most.

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NW1 Dental Care
Royal College Street, Camden

London  NW1 9NN

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NW1 DENTAL CARE
Royal College Street, Camden, London, NW1 9NN

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© 2026 NW1 Dental Care | Last Updated: May 2026