After-Hours Toothache in Liverpool: What to Do Until the Dentist Opens

Toothaches have a habit of starting at 10pm on a Saturday. If you are searching for a 24-hour or after-hours dentist in Liverpool, here is the honest picture: very few dental clinics in south-west Sydney are open overnight, so the practical question is how to get safely through to the morning, and when it cannot wait.

When to go to hospital instead

Go to the emergency department at Liverpool Hospital, or call 000, if you have any of these:

• Swelling in the face or neck that is spreading, or that makes it hard to swallow or breathe
• Bleeding from the mouth that will not stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure
• A serious injury to the face or jaw
• A high fever along with dental pain and swelling

Hospital emergency departments do not do fillings or extractions, but they can treat a spreading infection, which is the one dental problem that can become dangerous. For advice overnight you can also call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Getting through the night

• Take the over-the-counter pain relief you would normally use, following the directions on the pack. Do not place aspirin against the gum: it burns the tissue.
• Rinse gently with warm salty water and keep the area clean.
• Sleep with your head raised on an extra pillow. Lying flat makes a throbbing tooth worse.
• Use a cold pack on the cheek for swelling. Avoid heat.
• Avoid very hot, cold or sweet food and drink on that side.

A knocked-out tooth cannot wait

An adult tooth that has been knocked out has the best chance if it is back in the socket within the hour. Hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly in milk, and place it back in if you can. Otherwise keep it in milk and get to a dentist or an emergency department straight away.

Call us from 8am

Trinity Dental Care Centre is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 1pm, and where possible we keep emergency appointments free each day. Call as soon as the phones open and tell us what has happened. Most overnight toothaches turn out to be deep decay, a cracked tooth or an infected nerve, and all of them are easier to fix the sooner they are seen.

In pain right now? See our emergency dentist in Liverpool page. Book online or call (02) 9822 7107.