Emergency Dentist in Ipswich

Dental pain does not wait for a convenient moment. If you have a broken tooth, a lost crown, swelling or toothache that will not settle, the fastest thing you can do is call Parkview Dental Centre on 01473 254 873. Our reception team will take the details, work out how urgent it is, and book you into the first appointment we have available.

What counts as a dental emergency?

If you are not sure whether your problem is urgent, ring us and describe it — we would rather tell you it can wait than have you sitting in pain over a weekend. The situations we most often see are:

• Severe or persistent toothache that painkillers are not controlling
• Facial swelling, or swelling around a tooth or in the gum — this can indicate an abscess and should always be treated promptly
• A knocked-out adult tooth — keep it in milk or saliva, do not scrub it, and call us immediately; time matters a great deal here
• A broken, cracked or chipped tooth, particularly if it is sharp or sensitive
• A lost filling or crown leaving the tooth exposed
• Bleeding that will not stop after an extraction
• A broken denture or an orthodontic brace causing injury to the mouth

What to do right now

For a knocked-out adult tooth, hold it by the crown rather than the root, and if you can, gently place it back into the socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it there. If you cannot, keep it in milk and bring it with you. Do not let it dry out.

For toothache, over-the-counter painkillers taken as directed on the packet will usually take the edge off while you wait. Avoid very hot or very cold food and drink, and do not place aspirin directly against the gum — it burns the tissue. Rinsing with warm salty water can ease a sore or swollen area.

If you have facial swelling that is spreading, swelling that affects your eye or your breathing, or difficulty swallowing, treat it as a medical emergency and go to A&E or call 999. That is beyond what any dental practice can safely manage.

Do I need to be a registered patient?

No — you do not need to be a registered patient. We keep a one-off emergency appointment available for people who are not registered with us, so if your own practice cannot see you, or you do not currently have a dentist, please still ring. You will be seen and treated the same as anyone else.

Out of hours and weekends

Our practice hours are Monday to Thursday, 8am to 5pm, and Friday, 8am to 3.30pm. We also operate an out-of-hours call-out service outside those times, charged at £305. If you are on one of our Denplan plans and have taken the supplementary insurance, the out-of-hours call-out costs £140 instead.

Outside those hours, ring the practice on 01473 254 873 as usual — the line is answered by an answerphone. Leave your name, a number to call you back on, and a short description of the problem.

If what you have is one of the things listed under Should I go to A&E instead? below — facial swelling that is spreading, swelling affecting your eye or your breathing, difficulty swallowing, a suspected broken jaw, or bleeding that will not stop — do not wait for a call back. Go to A&E.

What an emergency appointment costs

• Emergency appointment, registered patients — from £184
• One-off emergency appointment, unregistered patients — £275
• Out-of-hours call-out — £305, or £140 with Denplan supplementary insurance

That fee covers the appointment itself — examining you, working out what is wrong, and getting the pain under control. Any treatment that follows is quoted and agreed with you before we start it, so nothing is a surprise. Our full price list is on the dental costs page.

Parkview Dental Centre is a private practice. If you are looking for routine care rather than emergency treatment, our Denplan and payment plans spread the cost of ongoing dental care across monthly payments.

Once your emergency has been dealt with, we will talk you through what caused it and what can be done to stop it recurring — often that is a routine check-up and hygiene appointment, and sometimes it is restorative work such as a crown or referral to our oral surgery team.

If dental anxiety is part of why a problem has been left, you are in good company and it is nothing to apologise for. We treat a lot of nervous patients and will go at whatever pace you need.