CORONA VIRUS UPDATE – Please see our NEWS page for current information regarding emergency dental treatment.
Under normal circumstances, if you have a dental emergency, you would contact the practice and we would arrange to see you as soon as possible. Occasionally a dental emergency can happen over a weekend or when the practice is closed. Morningside Drive Dental Care has prepared this guidance to help you to know when and how to contact us.
The dental emergency service is for emergencies only and has
been set up to help patients in real need of urgent attention.
What is a dental emergency?
- Severe dental pain that is not controlled by analgesics such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.
- Swelling in the face or neck associated with a painful tooth.
- Uncontrollable bleeding following a dental extraction, oral surgery procedure or external trauma.
- External trauma resulting in damage to teeth and surrounding tissues.
- Any other emergency dental condition that could not reasonably be expected to wait until normal surgery hours.
In addition, Morningside Drive Dental Care would like to make sure that patients would not have to wait more than 24 hours to have the following problems attended to:
- A crown or bridge that has come out at the front of your mouth.
- A filling or tooth that has broken and is causing discomfort from a sharp edge.
- Any condition that requires immediate advice and reassurance from a dentist.
How do I contact a dentist if I need help out of hours?
- Our practice has joined with four other practices to provide an emergency dentist on a rotation basis – please note that it will not always be your own practice or dentist that is on duty.
- Telephone our practice (0131 447 6043) to check that we are closed and make a note of the pager service number.
- Dial the number and listen to the message – at the end of the message an alert will sound and you can leave your message after the tone.
- Speak clearly and leave your name, a telephone number where you can be contacted, the name of your dentist and a brief description of your problem.
How much will it cost?
- A fee of up to £135 will be charged to include the call-out and any emergency treatment.
- Patients who carry dental insurance will be able to claim back the amount (minus the excess which is currently £15).
- NHS patients will be treated within the regulations and for exempt patients (eg children under 18) there is no charge.
- The dentist on duty will call you back between the hours of 08.00 – 20.00 on week days and 09.00 – 18.00 at weekends.
How will my own dentist know what treatment has been done?
- A report of any treatment or advice will be sent to your own dentist as soon afterwards as is possible.
- It is normally necessary for you to make an appointment to see your own dentist for follow up treatment.
How do I prevent problems?
We would like to remind patients that we would far rather help you to avoid the need for emergency appointments and that regular attendance for preventive maintenance is encouraged. If you have a problem, it is best to contact us for an appointment during normal surgery hours, as soon as possible, rather than letting it develop into something that may cause pain over a weekend.
For more information please contact us