Christmas is fast approaching and the nation prepares for a slight relaxation of the lockdown rules with mixing of up to 3 households from December 23rd to 27th which will be a welcome change albeit with likely stricter rules come January! 

During Christmas, it is normal for dental practices to close and take a well earned rest during the festive period. We are no exception and our doors will close from 1730 on 22nd December. However, if you have a dental emergency and would like to speak with a dentist, Dr Nissit Patel will still be available via video consultation for remote advice, prescriptions as required and home care instructions. To book an appointment, simply follow the links below:-

If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment at this present time, I can appreciate that it is probably quite a worry about when your next appointment may be. After all, orthodontic treatment is all about seeing progress for teeth straightening and it is unlikely the next adjustment or review appointment will be for some time yet.

However, it is important to stay positive and remember the fact that things will return to some level of normality in the near future and that teeth can always be straightened despite the time delay!

On that note, I thought it would be useful to discuss orthodontic emergencies and how to manage them at home during lock down. The most common types of problems encountered listed below with some helpful tips on how to manage them at home.
 

During this period of lockdown, it will be increasingly difficult to access dental care apart from severe emergency treatment. I have therefore written guide on how to manage routine dental emergencies at home and how we can help over the phone. I hope it is of some use.
 

There are three common reasons that emergency tooth extraction is necessary. These are crowding, disease, and trauma. If you've recently suffered a physical injury because of a sports-related accident or something as catastrophic, you may or may not need an emergency tooth extraction. How can you tell?

Getting an emergency tooth extraction is a difficult call to make. Regardless, the advancements in dental technology and endodontic treatments can help you move forward with this challenging decision.

If you've recently had a traumatic experience, the dental and endodontic treatments may vary per location, the type of injury obtained, and the severity of the pain. If you have a cracked tooth, for example, and it's fractured to the gum line, it may not be treatable. This kind of damage needs an emergency extraction.

The process of determining an extraction depends upon the dentist's decision. If the dentist takes an X-ray of the damaged area and sees that its 10-year prognosis bodes well, he or she will not elect for an emergency extraction. If it's the opposite because the area is severely infected and past treatments were ineffective to save the damaged tooth, he or she will proceed with the tooth extraction.

Throughout, your dentist will inform you what's going on and will talk to you about the several options you can take. Even so, you must consider an emergency tooth extraction if there is no other option to save the tooth or the affected area from further damage.

An emergency extraction is also necessary to protect you from the pain. As we all know, a tooth causing pain is blinding. It's not some regular headache that goes away with over-the-counter medication. A tooth that results from a traumatic injury is severely painful. Hence, emergency tooth extraction.

Below are the available options you can look through that will help you decide to get that emergency tooth extraction now.
 

Dental emergencies can strike at any time and can happen to people of all ages. They’re especially common among young children because they’re active and love running around with friends. For parents, it’s easy to panic when their child’s tooth gets knocked off. However, it’s important to know that dental emergencies cover many issues, aside from broken and chipped teeth. Toothaches, bleeding gums, and sensitivity all fall into this category and require prompt attention. Here’s a list of four common children's dental emergencies and what you need to know what to do if your child needs urgent care:
 

There are only 5 sleeps until Christmas! Exciting. Christmas is generally a time for celebrating and indulgence. Sadly this often means dental emergencies with most practices closed until the New Year. Here are the 5 most common dental emergencies and tips on how to handle them until you can visit your dentist:
 

It is Christmas eve and the big day is nearly here. Here are some use useful tips to avoid any dental disasters on Christmas day (when all dentists are closed!):

1. Avoid hard, crunchy sweets especially if you have large fillings or have had extensive dentistry

2. Drink from a cup or plastic glass rather than a bottle. An inadvertent knock could fracture an incisor! 

3. Drink responsibly- falling over after a few too many may ruin your Christmas smile 

4. If you grind your teeth at night please and have a night guard, please wear it! 

5. Clean your teeth properly after indulging in all of those lovely treats. Cleaning in between teeth is especially important. 

We are open today until 12pm, so if you do have a dental disaster this morning, please feel free to call us.