Emergency Dentist in Gold Coast

A man in a blue shirt with the words 7 days a week.

After Hours And Emergency Dentist Services, 7 Days A Week

Whether you have a toothache, broken tooth, had an unfortunate sports or work accident, or suffer from wisdom tooth pain, our emergency dentist in Gold Coast is here to help, 7 days a week.

Book Emergency Appointment

At MGA Dental, we have been offering emergency services for over 15 years and have experience with a wide range of dental emergencies ranging from a simple broken tooth to large-scale dental trauma and facial swelling.

We are the preferred emergency dentist for major sporting clubs and other dental surgeries in Gold Coast.

MGA Dental is one of the very few dentists on the Gold Coast that are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, as well as for after-hours emergency dental services. Our clinic functions on a per-appointment basis and will strive to suit your appointment needs, whether it’s due to work commitments or a dental emergency. We are proud to offer a full range of quality dental treatments and services coupled with the convenience of emergency services on Sundays and all public holidays, so you will never be left stranded.

There are a number of reasons why you may need to seek emergency dental services. At MGA Dental all of our dentists are experienced in dealing with a wide variety of dental emergencies. Below is a list of the most common dental emergencies that we encounter.

Toothaches – What Should I Do?

If you cannot get in touch with us, please do the following.

Take 2 x Nurofen (ibuprofen).
Wait for three hours and then take 2 x Panadol (paracetamol).
Wait for three hours again and repeat the cycle. This will help you with the pain. Leave a message on our answering machine and we will contact you ASAP.

Chipped Or Fractured Teeth/Lost Fillings

If teeth are chipped or fractured or if previously placed fillings are cracked or lost, the resulting empty space accumulates food and initiates the start of dental decay.

Symptoms may involve pain while chewing and sensitivity to cold and possibly hot foods and liquids as well as air, which may over time, become more pronounced. If allowed to continue untreated, the dental pulp within the tooth is often damaged and severe toothaches will result.

Prompt repair of chipped teeth and replacement of lost fillings are vital to maintaining a healthy and pain-free mouth.

Our skilled team, which includes an emergency dentist, is well-prepared to swiftly address such issues. Don't allow dental concerns to persist—contact us for thorough care and ensure your smile stays healthy and comfortable.

Teeth Knocked Out

To improve the chances of the tooth being saved MGA Dental suggests doing the following:

Check the teeth by looking, or using a finger.
Locate any missing teeth or fragments of teeth.
Only touch the crown of the tooth, the part usually visible in the mouth.
Do not wash or rinse the fragment or tooth with anything, even water.
Store the fragment or tooth in milk, if possible. Get to us as quickly as possible.

If getting to the office immediately after a tooth has been knocked out is impossible, then you may want to try slipping the tooth back into its socket. In many cases, it will slip right in. Make sure it’s facing the right way. Don’t try to force it into the socket. If it doesn’t go back into place easily and without pressure, store it in milk until you can see a dentist.

Treatment of knocked-out teeth

Putting the tooth back in place is a simple procedure. Your dentist will use water to flush debris from the tooth socket. Then he or she will slip the tooth back into place. The tooth may be splinted to adjacent teeth with plastic resin and orthodontic wire. This keeps the tooth stable so it can heal and reattach.

The nerves and blood vessels that were severed when the tooth was knocked out often don’t heal. If this happens, the tooth may begin to darken. This is usually a sign that you will probably need root canal treatment.

Facial Swelling

Swellings around the mouth can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, swelling can occur because of blocked salivary glands, medication side effects, poor nutrition (particularly vitamin C deficiency), gingivitis and gum disease, and some oral cancers. However, a swelling can also be an indication that a tooth has an abscess, especially if it is accompanied by pain and has occurred reasonably quickly.

Go to the Emergency Room:
Facial swelling can also be an indication of a serious medical condition. Go to the emergency dentist immediately if you have:

Swelling that increases visibly
Discoloration of the skin
Swelling that spreads across the face or down the neck

A woman is holding her hand to her face.

Abscess

A tooth abscess is a pocket of pus that’s caused by a bacterial infection. The abscess can occur in different regions of the tooth for different reasons. A periapical abscess occurs at the tip of the root, whereas a periodontal abscess occurs in the gums next to a tooth root.

Abscesses need to be seen straight away for treatment as they are typically extremely painful and cannot heal themselves. There is a risk that an untreated infection from an abscess will spread to the blood or other parts of the body, and may cause potentially fatal sepsis.

How Is An Abscess Treated?

Antibiotics can be prescribed by a dentist or GP to reduce the risk of the infection spreading. The antibiotics will often cause the swelling and pain to subside within a day or two, but it’s important to note that this relief is temporary: antibiotics will not cure the abscess. This is because the source of infection remains deep inside the tooth, well-protected from the antibiotics, which can only reach infections via the bloodstream.

To effectively treat an abscess, the source of the infection (the bacteria) needs to be removed. An infected tooth must either be removed entirely (extracted) or the infection inside it must be drained away and the resulting void inside the tooth must be cleaned, sterilized and filled in to prevent further infection.

The process of draining, cleaning, sterilizing and filling the inside of an abscessed tooth is called Root Canal Therapy.

Wisdom Teeth

In many cases, the patient’s upper and lower jaws are too small to accommodate the 32 teeth in human dentition properly. As a result, many patients have misaligned teeth.

The most commonly seen results of this crowding are unusual and painfully positioned wisdom teeth. Problematic wisdom teeth are usually seen in patients above the age of 18. Many wisdom teeth, the most posterior teeth in each jaw, both upper and lower, erupt after all the other teeth have positioned themselves and have no room to properly align with the other teeth already in position.

As a result, they often enter the mouth at a twisted, unusual angle, causing much pain and swelling.

Treatment of Wisdom teeth at MGA Dental

During a consultation involving X-rays or OPG (panoramic X-ray) and examination, the dentist can determine which wisdom teeth or wisdom teeth will be, or are, functional, and which ones need to be removed. In many cases, all four wisdom teeth will need to be removed.

Wisdom teeth removal commonly involves an incision to open the gum, and sometimes a small portion of the bone may need to be removed to provide access for the wisdom teeth removal.

A visit with the Emergency Dentist on the Gold Coast is the best answer to this problem and the sooner the better before complications develop that will make the situation more difficult to solve.

Crown Came Off

In some cases, a crown may become loose because there is decay underneath it. The decay destroys part of the tooth, so it no longer has a tight hold on the crown or filling. These situations rarely require an emergency dentist.

However, it can be painful because the exposed tooth tissue is often sensitive to temperature, pressure or air. If you lose a crown, put it in a safe place and make an appointment to see our emergency dentist as soon as possible.

Don’t wait too long. What is left of the tooth will not be as strong as your crown. It could be damaged more without the crown to protect it.

A tooth with a crown and a tooth with a crown.

A set of gold teeth on a blue background.

Pain After Extraction (Dry Socket)

One of the more common complications people experience after a tooth extraction is of developing a “dry socket.” It is thought that dry sockets occur when either a blood clot has failed to form in the tooth socket (the hole left after extracting the tooth), or else the blood clot that did form has been dislodged. Since the formation of a blood clot is an important part of the healing process, the normal healing of the extraction site is interrupted.

Dry sockets are most frequently associated with difficult tooth extractions or extractions that have been traumatic in nature. An extraction that has involved the removal of bone from around a tooth in order for the dentist to access it, which is often the case when lower impacted wisdom teeth are removed, would be considered to be more traumatic in nature than an extraction where this step was not required.

People who follow their dentist’s post-extraction recommendations will reduce their chances of developing a dry socket. Dry sockets are found to occur more often in women (even more so with those taking oral contraceptives), people over the age of 30, and smokers.

Typically dry sockets manifest themselves as a dull throbbing pain that doesn’t appear until three or four days after the tooth extraction. The pain can be moderate to severe in intensity and often seems to radiate from the area of the extraction site to the ear. Dry sockets typically create a foul odour or bad taste. Visually, if you can see down into the socket, the extraction site appears “dry,” in the sense that you just see exposed bone. There is no formation of pus.

In most cases, a dentist will place a medicated dressing into a dry socket as a treatment. This will help to soothe and moderate the pain. The dressing is usually removed and replaced every 24 hours until the dry socket’s symptoms subside, which can, in some cases, take some number of days.

Broken Dentures

Broken dentures can cause massive disruption to a denture wearer’s life and are thus considered a dental emergency. Without dentures, speaking and eating will be affected.
Dentures can break for a variety of reasons, despite withstanding the pressure of the jawbone. For example, a denture is vulnerable to the following accidents:

Dropping your dentures onto a hard surface
Heat damage, if boiling water is used during cleaning

If your denture breaks, you must see a dentist immediately for repair. There is a strong chance that your denture may break during the hours that a dental lab is typically closed. For situations like these, we strive to have your denture repaired as soon as possible. If the damage is extensive, more time may be necessary to repair your dentures.

Root Canal Treatment

A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. Root canal procedures are performed when the nerve of the tooth becomes infected or the pulp becomes damaged. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.

Signs to look for include:

Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)
Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
Sometimes no symptoms are present

If your denture breaks, you must see an emergency dentist immediately for repair. There is a strong chance that your denture may break during the hours that a dental lab is typically closed. For situations like these, we strive to have your denture repaired as soon as possible. If the damage is extensive, more time may be necessary to repair your dentures.

Alternative to a Root Canal

Having your natural teeth is the very best option, if possible. Your natural teeth allow you to eat a wide variety of foods necessary to maintain proper nutrition. The root canal procedure is the treatment of choice.

The only alternative to a root canal procedure is having the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge, implant, or removable partial denture to restore chewing function and prevent adjacent teeth from shifting. These alternatives not only are more expensive than a root canal procedure but require more treatment time and additional procedures to adjacent teeth and supporting tissues.

Injuries Of The Lips And Gums

Trauma to the lips, tongue and inside of the mouth is quite common. Any cut inside the mouth usually bleeds heavily because of the rich supply of blood in the area.

To clean cuts inside the mouth, rinse with salt water. If your lip is swollen or bruised, apply a cold compress. If there is bleeding, apply pressure with a clean cloth for at least 5 minutes. Using ice can help limit swelling, bleeding and discomfort. Wrap crushed ice in clean gauze or a clean piece of cloth and hold it on the affected area.

Seek medical care of our emergency dentist if:

Bleeding cannot be controlled with pressure and a cold compress
You have a deep cut
A cut crosses the border between the lip and facial skin
The lip is punctured
An infection develops after an injury
Swelling of the neck or floor of mouth occurs

Many lip and tongue injuries occur during sports activities. They often can be prevented through the use of a mouth guard. At MGA Dental we can create a professional, custom-fit mouthguard for you. Contact our office for more information.

When To Call Us! What Is A Dental Emergency?

If you are not sure if your problem is a dental emergency, our professional advice is: if you have a strong toothache or extreme tooth pain, it’s a dental emergency! You should contact us right away.

Even dental injuries that seem superficial or small can affect the living tissues inside the teeth. Quick emergency dental treatment improves the odds of saving injured or damaged teeth.

Even if you aren’t in much pain, any structural damage to a tooth, from a sports injury, for example, should be considered an emergency. Chips or fractures can affect the living tissue inside the tooth, causing more problems in the future. Your emergency dentist on the Gold Coast can prevent the damage from getting worse.

The same is true for a lost filling or crown. Even if you don’t have any symptoms, the tooth has lost its support and it could easily become weaker. Pieces could break off or crumble, and you would need more extensive treatment. If you see our dentist right away, there’s a good chance that our dentist will be able to repair the damage with minimal treatment.

All of our after-hours appointments are reserved for emergencies and will depend on staff availability. Some appointments to see an emergency dentist on the Gold Coast may incur a call-out fee if staff is required to return to the clinic. You would be notified of this fee when making the appointment.

How To Find Emergency Dentist Gold Coast

MGA Dental is conveniently located just minutes from the Surfers Paradise CBD at 122 Salerno Street on the Isle of Capri. We have a generous amount of parking space available in front of our practice. If you are using public transport, buses 731, 738 & 741 will drop you off just a few steps from our door. Enjoy Netflix and a warm beverage while you wait and be able to continue your movie whilst in the dental chair!

MGA Dental Gold Coast has the latest technologies, including intraoral cameras, overhead LCD screens and a wide array of movies to keep you entertained, while we take care of your smile.

At MGA Dental we understand a busy agenda, therefore we operate on extended hours to serve you better! Weekend appointments are available as well as emergency treatments on Sundays.

Book an appointment

Facing a dental emergency can be both alarming and unexpected. Whether it's a toothache, wisdom teeth issue, or a sports-related injury, these situations often occur at the most inconvenient times. While emergency rooms and hospitals may be overwhelmed and ill-equipped to handle dental emergencies, our dedicated team of highly trained emergency dentists is here for you on the Gold Coast. Reach out to us at 07 5539 9748 if you find yourself in need of urgent dental care. Additionally, you can conveniently book appointments online with more than 24 hours' notice, and our team will follow up with a confirmation call. Rest assured, we provide safe and effective treatments for all dental emergencies.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

Our skilled emergency dentists are prepared to assist you and your family beyond regular hours, including weekends. In the event of a dental emergency, visiting a Gold Coast emergency dentist clinic, such as ours, is crucial. Beyond alleviating your pain, a prompt response can prevent lasting trauma and enhance the likelihood of saving a damaged or painful tooth. Your well-being is our priority—give us a call today, and we'll ensure you receive the attention you need.