We're now open on Saturdays 09:00-13:00 (pre-booked appointments only)
Call us: 0115 647 9990
Mapperley Dental Studio · 870 Woodborough Road · 0115 647 9990
In pain today
Getting you assessed, out of pain, and clear about what happens next.
An emergency appointment is focused on diagnosing the problem and relieving symptoms. Definitive treatment is often planned separately once you are comfortable and the picture is clear.
Emergency appointment£65
Call as early in the day as possible for the best availability
Early, late and weekend appointments available
Booked in advance, subject to availability
Plan members receive priority appointment availability
The straight answer
An emergency dental appointment is a focused visit to diagnose an urgent problem and relieve symptoms. It typically covers dental pain, swelling, trauma, a broken tooth, or a lost filling or crown. The aim is to make you comfortable and establish what is happening; the definitive treatment is often carried out at a later planned appointment.
Severe or persistent toothache, facial or gum swelling, bleeding that will not stop, a knocked-out or broken tooth, trauma to the mouth, or a lost restoration leaving a sharp or painful tooth.
Mild sensitivity, a small chip that is not sharp, a lost filling causing no discomfort, or a cosmetic concern. These are better dealt with at a normal appointment, which leaves emergency slots for people in pain.
Go to A&E if you have swelling closing your eye, affecting your throat, or making it difficult to swallow or breathe, or if you have significant facial trauma. These are medical emergencies rather than dental ones.
Why patients come to us
Pain that is spontaneous, lingers after hot or cold, or wakes you at night usually indicates the nerve inside the tooth is irreversibly inflamed or the tooth is infected.
Practical outcome: the tooth is diagnosed and the pain addressed, usually by treating the nerve or removing the tooth.
Swelling indicates infection that has spread beyond the tooth. It needs assessing promptly rather than managing with painkillers at home.
Practical outcome: the source is identified and drained or treated. Swelling affecting your eye, throat or breathing needs A&E, not a dental appointment.
A fractured tooth can be sharp against the tongue and can expose sensitive dentine. A lost crown leaves the prepared tooth underneath vulnerable.
Practical outcome: the tooth is made comfortable and safe, and the definitive repair is planned.
What this treatment gives you, and the practicalities worth knowing before you book.
Suitability
Attend the examination and hygiene intervals your dentist recommends
Follow the home cleaning routine agreed with your dentist or hygienist
Tell us about medical conditions and medication, and about any changes
Your dentist will confirm whether this treatment is suitable after examining your teeth, gums, bite and wider oral health.
Step by step
Describe what is happening, where the pain is, how long it has been there, and whether there is any swelling. This determines how urgently you need to be seen and whether a dental appointment is the right place.
The dentist examines the area, tests the teeth involved, and takes X-rays where indicated to establish the cause. Fees are explained before treatment starts.
Depending on the diagnosis this may mean opening and dressing a tooth, draining an abscess, smoothing a sharp edge, replacing a temporary restoration or removing a tooth.
You are told what the problem is, what the definitive treatment options are, and what each costs, so you can decide rather than being committed on the spot.
The permanent repair, whether that is a root treatment and crown, a new restoration, or replacement of an extracted tooth, is booked separately.
Healing is reviewed and, if you are not already a patient of the practice, a full examination can be arranged to look at the wider picture.
The first appointment is an examination and a discussion. No treatment is carried out without your agreement, and you leave with a written plan and costs.
Fees
The emergency appointment fee covers the assessment itself. Any treatment carried out, on the day or afterwards, is charged on top and quoted before it starts.
One examination and one hygiene appointment a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and two hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
Two examinations and four hygiene appointments a year, priority access and emergency support.
All three plans include priority appointment availability, a 10% discount on non-cosmetic treatment and eligibility for the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme.
Your personalised cost is confirmed in writing after your examination. The figures above are starting prices for guidance only. They are not a quotation and do not take account of your individual clinical needs. You will receive a written plan setting out the recommended treatment, sequence and cost. No treatment begins until you have agreed it.
Your dentist
Whether someone comes in for a check-up or a full cosmetic plan, the first appointment is the same: time to listen, a proper look, and a clear explanation of the options and what they cost. Everything else follows from that.
Dr Rupchhen Tamang, Principal Dentist
A general dental practitioner is not a specialist. The word "specialist" should not be used unless a clinician appears on the relevant GDC specialist list.
Comfort and aftercare
If you are in pain when you arrive, say so plainly. Local anaesthetic can be difficult to achieve in an acutely inflamed tooth, so tell your dentist if you still feel anything sharp and more can be given.
The appointment is focused on getting you comfortable. It is not the time for a full treatment plan, and you will not be pressed to agree to anything beyond what is needed today.
Discomfort often continues for a day or two after the source has been treated as the surrounding tissues settle. Take painkillers as advised and follow any specific aftercare given.
Come back for the definitive treatment. A dressed tooth or a temporary restoration is not a permanent solution and will fail if left.
Common questions
Yes. Toothache and dental injuries happen unexpectedly and we aim to see patients with genuine emergencies as quickly as possible. Call the practice as early in the day as you can and describe what is happening, so the team can judge how urgently you need to be seen and arrange an appointment to assess and treat the problem.
No. You do not need to have attended before to book an emergency appointment. If you are already a plan member you have priority appointment availability. Whether or not you are an existing patient, the emergency appointment fee is the same.
Handle it by the crown, never the root. If it is an adult tooth, rinse it briefly in milk if it is dirty, then try to place it back into the socket and bite gently on a clean cloth. If you cannot, keep it in milk and contact us immediately. Do not attempt to replant a baby tooth. Time matters enormously here.
Usually not. Antibiotics can settle a spreading infection but they do not treat the cause, which is inside the tooth. Guidelines discourage prescribing them routinely for dental pain, both because they do not resolve the problem and because of antibiotic resistance. The treatment is usually to address the tooth itself.
Call NHS 111, which can direct you to urgent dental care out of hours. If you have swelling that is closing your eye, affecting your throat, or making swallowing or breathing difficult, or if you have significant facial trauma, go to A&E rather than waiting.
Sometimes, but often not. The emergency appointment is focused on diagnosing the problem and relieving symptoms. Definitive treatment such as a root canal and crown, or a permanent restoration, is usually planned and booked separately so it can be done properly rather than rushed.
The emergency appointment fee covers the assessment. Treatment is charged on top of that fee, not included in it, and is always quoted before it starts. So if you need a filling, a root treatment or an extraction on the day, you pay the appointment fee plus the fee for that treatment. You will not be committed to anything without being told the cost first.
Still unsure about something? Call the practice on 0115 647 9990 and ask.
Finding us
| Monday | 9am to 5pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Wednesday | 8am to 8pm |
| Thursday | 9am to 5pm |
| Friday | 9am to 5pm |
| Saturday | Pre-booked appointments only |
| Sunday | Closed |
Patient feedback
Describe what is happening and the team will tell you how quickly you need to be seen. If you have swelling affecting your eye, throat or breathing, go to A&E rather than waiting for a dental appointment.
