Dental Care in the Evenings and on Weekends

The medical helpline 116 117 should ALWAYS be called outside working hours before going to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) clinic. The medical helpline will assess the need for urgent care and instruct the patient on how to register upon arrival. The urgency of treatment is considered in the treatment of patients.

Emergency Dental Care Criteria

Situations that require urgent treatment

• swelling, difficulty swallowing
• limited opening of mouth
• difficulties in closing mouth
• fever associated with the above
• severe, persistent pain that requires painkillers regularly
• tooth injuries or suspected jaw fractures
• bleeding, for example, following a tooth extraction (if mouth appears to rapidly fill with blood)
• a broken fixed orthodontic appliance that digs painfully into the gums and cannot be relieved, for example, by cushioning with chewing gum or orthodontic wax
• large dental fractures that are causing problems in the mouth

Situations that do not require urgent help

• pain that lessens with painkillers
• pain caused by hot or cold
• asymptomatic fracture in a tooth or filling
• problems with dentures or removable dental braces
• problems with removable orthodontic appliances or lost rings on orthodontic headgear