Dental emergencies in Villavicencio

A dental emergency is any situation in the mouth that cannot wait for the next routine appointment: pain that keeps you awake, bleeding that will not stop, a tooth broken or knocked out of position, or swelling that is getting worse.

Emergency care has two aims: to bring the pain or the bleeding under control, and to stop the problem getting worse. The definitive treatment is rarely carried out on the same day, and that is normal.

This page covers the essentials: how to recognise each situation, what you can do while you make your way to us, what is best avoided, and how to get in touch with Higienista Oral.

Situations treated as an emergency

• Acute toothache. Intense, throbbing pain that comes on at night, that does not ease with what you normally take, or that flares with cold or heat.
• Bleeding. Gum bleeding that will not stop, or bleeding from an extraction site that carries on beyond the time you were told to expect.
• A broken, cracked or displaced tooth. A piece that chipped off biting something hard, a sharp edge cutting your tongue, or a tooth left loose or out of position after a knock.
• A lost filling or crown. The filling has come out or the crown has come off, leaving the tooth exposed and sensitive.
• Abscess or swelling. A lump on the gum, a bad taste, swelling of the face or jaw, with or without fever.
• Dental trauma. A blow from a fall, sport or an accident, including a tooth knocked completely out of its socket.

Signs that need immediate medical, not dental, attention: difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading towards the eye or the neck, a high fever, or a blow to the head with loss of consciousness. In those cases go straight to an emergency medical service.

What to do in the meantime

• Pain. Rinse gently with warm salt water, keep your head raised when lying down, and hold something cold against the outside of the cheek for short periods. If you take painkillers, use only those you already take regularly and tolerate well, and stick to the stated dose.
• Bleeding after an extraction. Bite on a clean folded gauze with firm, sustained pressure, rather than changing it every few minutes.
• A broken tooth. Keep the fragment if you have it and bring it with you. If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue, cover it temporarily with orthodontic wax or a piece of cotton.
• A tooth knocked completely out. Pick it up by the crown, never by the root. Do not scrub or brush it. Keep it in milk or saline solution and contact us straight away: time matters a great deal here.
• A lost filling or crown. Keep the piece, avoid chewing on that side, and keep the area clean.
• Swelling. Cold on the outside, rest, and contact us as soon as you can.

What is best avoided

• Do not place aspirin or any painkiller directly on the gum or tooth: it burns the tissue.
• Do not apply heat to the face where there is swelling.
• Do not try to open or drain an abscess yourself.
• Do not take leftover antibiotics from an earlier course or ones prescribed for someone else.
• Do not stick a crown back with household or industrial glue.
• Do not rinse forcefully or use a straw if there is bleeding or if you have recently had a tooth out.
• Do not let days pass hoping the pain will go away by itself. Pain that eases without treatment does not always mean the problem has resolved.

How to get in touch with us

Call 0312 4869987 or message us on 0312 4869987, describing what happened, when it started and what symptoms you have. With that information we can tell you what to do in the meantime and when you can be seen, depending on availability and our opening hours, which are published on the contact page.

If you write to us outside opening hours, leave your message and your details and we will reply when we reopen. If the situation is severe, or any of the warning signs above appear, do not wait for a reply: go to an emergency medical service.

Bear in mind that an emergency appointment concentrates on controlling the immediate problem. Once the pain has settled, the next step is a full assessment visit at Higienista Oral to understand why it happened and to agree the treatment that stops it happening again.