emergency dentistry
Emergency Dentist Melbourne : call before 10am and we’ll see you today
Toothache that kept you up. A tooth knocked out at sport. A crown that came off with your dinner. Whatever it is, call Avenue Dental before 10am and our Same Day Emergency Guarantee means you’ll see a dentist that day, for assessment, pain relief and whatever emergency treatment gets you comfortable.
Your emergency appointment is $95, which covers the consultation and X-ray. Once we know what’s going on, we’ll talk you through your treatment options and costs before anything else is done.
In pain now? Call us.
Same Day Emergency Guarantee: call before 10am on a day we’re open and you’ll be seen by a dentist that day. Emergency appointment $95, including consultation and X-ray. Excludes public holidays and practice closures. Full terms here.
Not sure if it’s an emergency? Here’s when to call us
The first few minutes of a dental emergency can make a real difference to what we’re able to save. Find your situation below, do the steps listed, then call.
Knocked-out adult tooth
- Time matters most: the best chance of saving the tooth is if it’s back in place within 30 minutes
- Pick it up by the crown (the white part), never the root
- Don’t scrub it, and don’t let it dry out
- Call us straight away
Broken or chipped tooth
- Depending on how much has broken off, the break may be close to the nerve, which can cause pain
- Avoid chewing on that side
- Call us as soon as you can
Lost filling or crown
- Keep the crown if you have it
- Don’t try to glue it back yourself. Household adhesives damage the tooth and the crown
- Keep the area clean and avoid very hot, cold or sweet food and drink
- If the tooth is sensitive, call us straight away
Severe toothache
- Over-the-counter pain relief as directed on the packet can help. Never put aspirin or any tablet against the gum; it burns the tissue
- Severe pain can mean the nerve is compromised, and we need to see you as soon as possible
- If you have facial swelling as well as pain, call us straight away
Swelling or abscess
- Mild swelling in the gum or cheek, with or without a pimple-like bump on the gum: call us
- Don’t try to pop or drain anything yourself
- If the swelling is spreading to your eye or neck, making it hard to swallow or breathe, or you have a fever, that’s a hospital emergency, not a dentist one
Bleeding after an extraction
- Some oozing for the first day is normal and mixes with saliva to look worse than it is
- Fold a clean piece of the gauze provided to you, place it over the socket, and bite down firmly for 20 to 30 minutes
- Sit upright. Avoid rinsing, spitting, straws, smoking and hot drinks, which all disturb the clot
- If it’s still bleeding steadily after two rounds of firm pressure, call us. If it’s heavy and won’t slow, go to hospital
In every case above, the next step is the same: call us before 10am and you’ll be seen today. If it’s after hours, the section further down covers what to do, and when it’s a hospital rather than a dentist.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute clinical advice. Individual suitability, treatment and costs depend on an assessment specific to you. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. View treatment risks here.
When it’s a hospital emergency, not a dental one
Most dental emergencies are painful but not dangerous, and we can see you today. A small number need a hospital, and a dental practice is the wrong place to go. Go straight to an emergency department, or call 000, if you have any of these:
- Facial swelling that is spreading towards your eye or down your neck, or that makes it hard to swallow, breathe or open your mouth
- Swelling with a fever or feeling generally unwell
- Injury to the face or jaw from a fall, accident or blow, especially if your teeth no longer meet properly or your jaw feels out of place
- Heavy bleeding from the mouth that won’t slow with firm pressure
- A knocked-out tooth alongside a head injury, loss of consciousness or vomiting
Life-threatening: call 000
Difficulty breathing or swallowing, severe facial trauma, or uncontrolled bleeding. Don’t drive yourself.
Urgent dental care after hours
The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne runs a public emergency dental service at 720 Swanston Street, Carlton, including weekends and public holidays. Call (03) 9341 1000 first to check hours and whether you’ll be seen.
For everything else, including severe toothache, a broken or knocked-out tooth, a lost crown or mild swelling, call Avenue Dental Brunswick on (03) 7053 4099 before 10am and we’ll see you today.
What happens at your emergency appointment
Your emergency appointment is $95, and it covers the consultation and X-ray. The aim of the visit is to find out what’s wrong and get you out of pain. Here’s how it runs.
1Tell us what’s happening
The dentist asks where it hurts, when it started and what makes it worse, then examines the tooth and the area around it. If you’re a new patient, we’ll take a few minutes on your medical history first; it affects what we can safely do.
2X-ray and diagnosis
An X-ray shows what the eye can’t: infection at the root, a crack below the gum, decay under an old filling. The dentist explains what they’ve found in plain terms and what it means for the tooth.
3Pain relief and emergency treatment
Whatever gets you comfortable today is done today: settling the nerve, a temporary filling, re-cementing a crown, smoothing a sharp edge, draining an abscess or starting antibiotics where they’re needed. Emergency treatment on the day is charged separately from the $95 appointment, and you’ll be told the cost before it’s done.
4Your options, and what they cost
Once the pain is under control, the dentist talks you through the options for fixing the tooth properly, whether that’s a filling, a crown, root canal treatment or, if the tooth can’t be saved, removing it and what could replace it. You get the costs for each before you decide, and follow-up treatment is booked when you’re ready. Payment plans are available for the definitive treatment.
Why choose Avenue Dental for Emergency Dentistry in Melbourne
Seen today, guaranteed – Call before 10am on a day we’re open and our Same Day Emergency Guarantee means a dentist sees you that day. Not a call centre, not a triage line, not tomorrow. Terms apply, and they’re linked above.
Open from 7am – Brunswick opens at 7am Monday to Friday, so if a tooth kept you up, you can be in the chair before most practices have unlocked the door, and often before work.
$95 to find out what’s wrong – Your emergency appointment covers the consultation and X-ray. You’ll know what’s happening and what it will cost to fix before anything else is done, so cost is never the reason to wait.
Pain first, decisions second – The emergency visit is about getting you comfortable. The bigger decisions about the tooth are made once you’re out of pain, with the options and costs in front of you, not while you’re gritting your teeth.
The same dentist for the follow-up – Whoever sees you in the emergency stays with you for the treatment that follows, so you’re not explaining the story twice. If it’s your first visit, we’ll treat you the same as a patient of twenty years.
New patients welcome – You don’t need to be an existing patient. If you’re in pain and you’re in Melbourne, call.
Payment plans for the fix – The emergency visit is $95. If the treatment that we recommend feels like a stretch to the budget, interest-free payment plans are available.
The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute clinical advice. Individual suitability, treatment and costs depend on an assessment specific to you. Before proceeding, seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. View treatment risks here.
Is there a 24-hour dentist in Melbourne
Not really. Searches for a 24-hour or after-hours dentist in Melbourne turn up plenty of listings, but almost none of them are a dentist sitting in a chair at 2am. Most are call-answering services that book you into the next morning, which is what we do too, only without the middleman. The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne runs a public emergency service on weekends and public holidays for urgent cases, and for anything dangerous, a hospital emergency department is open around the clock.
If it’s the middle of the night and your problem is painful but not one of the hospital signs above, here’s the honest advice: get through the night as comfortably as you can, and call us the moment we open. Over-the-counter pain relief taken as directed on the packet, a cold pack on the outside of the cheek, keeping your head raised when you lie down, and avoiding whatever sets the tooth off (usually hot, cold or sweet) will get most people to morning. Then call before 10am and you’ll be seen that day. Brunswick opens at 7am Monday to Friday, so calling at opening means you’re often in the chair before you’d otherwise have started work.
If at any point overnight the pain comes with spreading swelling, a fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing, stop waiting and go to hospital.
Emergency dentist in Melbourne: your questions answered
Is there a 24-hour emergency dentist in Melbourne?
Not in the sense of a dentist available around the clock. Most 24-hour dentist listings in Melbourne are answering services that book you in for the next morning. The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne runs a public emergency dental service on weekends and public holidays, and hospital emergency departments handle dental problems that are dangerous, such as spreading swelling or facial trauma. For everything else, call Avenue Dental Brunswick before 10am and you’ll be seen that day.
Can I go to hospital for tooth pain?
You can, but for most toothache a hospital emergency department will give you pain relief and tell you to see a dentist, because they don’t have the equipment to treat the tooth. Go to hospital if the pain comes with swelling spreading towards your eye or neck, a fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or an injury to your face or jaw. For toothache on its own, a dentist is the right place, and we can see you today.
What counts as a dental emergency?
Anything that’s painful, bleeding, swollen or broken and won’t wait for a routine appointment: severe toothache, a knocked-out or broken tooth, a lost filling or crown, a dental abscess or mild facial swelling, bleeding that won’t settle after an extraction, or a wisdom tooth flaring up. If you’re unsure whether it’s an emergency, call and ask. We’d rather see you than have you wait.
How much does an emergency dentist cost in Melbourne?
At Avenue Dental Brunswick, the emergency appointment is $95, which covers the consultation and X-ray. Any emergency treatment done on the day, such as a temporary filling, re-cementing a crown or settling the nerve, is quoted to you before it’s done. Treatment to fix the tooth properly is discussed once you’re out of pain, with the cost of each option explained, and payment plans are available.
What if I call after 10am?
Call anyway. The Same Day Emergency Guarantee applies to calls before 10am, but we’ll still do everything we can to fit you in the same day, and if that isn’t possible you’ll be given the earliest appointment available, usually the next morning. If you’re in severe pain, tell us when you call.
Do I need to be an existing patient?
No. Anyone in Melbourne with a dental emergency can call. If it’s your first visit, we’ll take a few minutes on your medical history before treatment, which is part of keeping you safe.
Will you take the tooth out on the day?
Only if it’s the right thing for the tooth and you’ve decided that with the dentist. The emergency visit is about diagnosis and pain relief. Some teeth can be removed on the day if that’s clearly the best option and you’re comfortable proceeding; many are settled first and the decision about saving or removing them is made once you’re out of pain and have the options and costs in front of you.
What if I’ve knocked out a tooth?
Time matters most. Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root, don’t scrub it and don’t let it dry out, and call us straight away. The best chance of saving an adult tooth is if it’s back in place within about 30 minutes. Baby teeth are different and shouldn’t be put back; bring the child in and we’ll check the area.
Can you see children in an emergency?
Yes. Children’s dental emergencies, from knocked-out or chipped teeth to toothache, are seen under the same guarantee. Call before 10am and we’ll see them today.
Flexible payment plans
At Avenue Dental on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, we understand that dental treatment can be difficult to fit into your budget, which is why we offer a range of different dental payment plan options.
