--- title: Emergency Dental Care canonical_url: https://directory.collinsstreetspecialistcentre.com.au/procedures/emergency-dental-care/ category: description: Some dental problems cannot wait. Pain, swelling, trauma, or sudden loss of a tooth or restoration may require prompt specialist assessment. Collins Street Specialist Centre provides urgent appointment access during b... geography: city: state: country: metadata: phone: email: website: publishedAt: --- # Emergency Dental Care ## Collins Street Specialist Centre Emergency Dental Care Some dental problems cannot wait. Pain, swelling, trauma, or the sudden loss of a tooth or restoration may need prompt specialist assessment. Collins Street Specialist Centre provides urgent appointment access during business hours for patients presenting with acute dental conditions. --- ## How to access urgent care at CSSC Call **(03) 9650 2726** as early as possible — preferably when we open at 8:00am Monday to Friday, or 8:30am on Saturday. Let our reception team know you have an urgent concern and describe your symptoms briefly. They will find the earliest available appointment and direct you to the specialist best placed to help. Priority is given to patients presenting with: - Severe uncontrolled dental pain - Facial swelling - Acute dental trauma (knocked-out tooth, fractured tooth) - Lost crown or filling causing acute sensitivity or risk of further damage - Signs of dental abscess or infection Collins Street Specialist Centre operates Monday to Friday 8:00am–6:00pm and Saturday 8:30am–1:30pm. We do not operate an after-hours emergency line. For dental emergencies outside these hours, contact your nearest public dental hospital emergency service or hospital emergency department. --- ## What constitutes a dental emergency? Not every unexpected dental problem needs immediate specialist attention. The following guide is intended to help you work out the most appropriate course of action. **Seek urgent same-day care for:** - Severe toothache that does not respond to over-the-counter pain relief - Significant swelling of the face, gum, or jaw - Knocked-out permanent tooth (see the protocol below) - Tooth fractured with nerve exposure, presenting with severe pain to temperature and touch - Dental abscess with visible swelling or accompanying fever - Significant dental trauma following an accident or impact **Book an urgent appointment within 24–48 hours for:** - A lost crown or temporary restoration causing pain or sensitivity - A broken tooth with a sharp edge causing soft tissue irritation - A loose or broken orthodontic appliance causing discomfort - Dental pain that is getting worse and affecting sleep **A routine appointment is appropriate for:** - A lost filling with no associated pain - A chipped tooth with no pain or sharp edge - Gum soreness without swelling - Questions about existing treatment --- ## Knocked-out permanent tooth: act immediately A knocked-out (avulsed) permanent tooth is a true dental emergency. The prognosis for successful replantation depends directly on how quickly the tooth is repositioned in its socket — every minute counts. The following steps give you the best possible chance of a good outcome. 1. **Pick up the tooth by the crown only.** Do not touch or scrub the root surface. The periodontal ligament fibres attached to the root are essential for healing and must be preserved. 2. **If the tooth is visibly dirty, rinse it gently under cold running water.** No scrubbing, no soap, no disinfectant — and do not let it dry out. 3. **Reposition the tooth in the socket if it is safe to do so.** If the patient is conscious, cooperative, and old enough that swallowing is not a concern, gently guide the tooth back into its socket and ask them to bite down softly on a clean cloth to hold it in place. 4. **If reimplantation is not immediately possible, store the tooth in milk.** Milk preserves the vitality of the root surface cells for up to 60 minutes. Saline solution is also acceptable. Do not store the tooth in water, wrap it in tissue, or let it dry out. 5. **Call CSSC immediately on (03) 9650 2726 and attend without delay.** Outside our operating hours, go directly to the nearest hospital emergency department. **A note about children:** Replantation is generally not recommended for primary (baby) teeth, because attempting to reposition them can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. If a child has knocked out a baby tooth, keep them calm, manage any bleeding with gentle pressure, and arrange a dental review as soon as possible. --- ## When to go directly to hospital Some dental emergencies involve conditions that go beyond what a specialist centre can manage and require hospital-level care. **Go directly to your nearest hospital emergency department if:** - Facial swelling is affecting your airway, making it difficult to breathe or swallow - You have sustained significant facial trauma, with a possible jaw fracture or involvement of the eye socket - You have a dental infection accompanied by high fever, difficulty opening your mouth (trismus), or signs of systemic illness - Bleeding from the mouth cannot be controlled after 20 minutes of sustained, direct pressure Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are the specialists called upon in these situations. A/Prof Patrishia Bordbar holds consultant appointments at the Royal Children's Hospital and Western Hospital Melbourne and has extensive experience managing maxillofacial trauma and life-threatening oral infections. --- ## Common specialist emergencies at CSSC **Dental trauma (Endodontics):** Cracked, fractured, or avulsed teeth need specialist assessment to determine the extent of injury and whether the dental pulp has been compromised. Dr Gregory Tilley, Prof Chankhrit Sathorn, Dr Aovana Timmerman, and Dr Areti Vrochari manage dental trauma emergencies, including urgent root canal treatment where needed. **Severe dental infection and abscess (Endodontics or Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery):** Infection from a diseased dental pulp or periapical abscess may require urgent root canal treatment, extraction, or surgical drainage if the infection is spreading. The nature and severity of your symptoms will determine which specialist is best placed to manage your care. **Acute pericoronitis (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery):** Infection and swelling around a partially erupted wisdom tooth is a common acute presentation. Management may include irrigation, a course of antibiotics, and in some cases urgent extraction. **Lost crown on a painful tooth (Prosthodontics and Endodontics):** Specialist assessment is needed to determine whether the underlying tooth structure remains restorable and whether the dental pulp has been affected. **Broken orthodontic appliance causing soft tissue injury (Orthodontics):** Our orthodontic team can arrange urgent appointments for appliance-related issues causing mucosal ulceration or injury from displaced wires. --- ## Contact for urgent appointments **Phone:** (03) 9650 2726 — call early in the day, as urgency is assessed by phone **Email:** theteam@collinsstreetspecialistcentre.com.au **Hours:** Monday–Friday 8:00am–6:00pm | Saturday 8:30am–1:30pm **Location:** Level 8 and Level 12 & Tower, Manchester Unity Building, 220 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD ---