Self care advice and patient information

You can find further advice and guidance in our Dental Patient Information Leaflets, which are in the Resource Library. Simply filter by the category ‘Dental’.

How to manage dental pain?

Pain relief: Read these NHS guidelines:

Adult pain relief recommendations:

Child pain relief recommendations

Use desensitising toothpaste such as Sensodyne.

Brush with toothpaste twice daily, it can also be applied to the affected area with a clean finger as required.

Topical numbing gels.

Your pharmacist can recommend suitable products for you.

Warm salt water mouth rinses.

Rinsing after meals will help keep your mouth clean and help prevent infection.

Cold compress such as frozen peas wrapped in a clean towel.

This may help ease pain and reduce swelling. However if you are concerned about swelling and fever, telephone your dentist for advice. DO NOT apply heat to a facial swelling, as this can make it worse.

Try avoiding sweet, very hot and cold foods as these can worsen sensitivity.

Try and eat on the other side of your mouth.

Keep your head elevated at night with an extra pillow.

This can relieve pressure within a tooth, reducing pain.

How to manage sore or bleeding gums?

Bleeding gums can be caused by irregular or ineffective tooth brushing. It is important to:

Brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste; you may need to use a softer toothbrush.
If you can use interdental brushes and floss to dislodge trapped food or plaque.
Rinse or swab the affected area with an antiseptic mouthwash or warm salt water.
Sometimes the gum around a wisdom tooth can become swollen and inflamed, follow the above advice may help.
If this fails to improve within 7-10 days, contact your dentist.

How to manage mouth ulcers?

Topical numbing gels or rinses.

Your pharmacist can recommend suitable products for you.

Warm salt water mouth rinses or an antiseptic mouthwash.

This will help prevent infection.

Avoid salty, spicy or hot foods.
Any mouth ulcer that does not heal within 2 weeks can be a sign of an underlying health condition, please contact your dentist for advice.

How to manage a broken tooth or lost filling?

Make sure the area is kept as clean as possible.
Use a temporary dressing or filling material.

These can be purchased at pharmacies, larger supermarkets or online.

How to manage dental trauma?

If there has been loss of consciousness or there are significant facial injuries, emergency care is required via A&E.
Try and stem bleeding by applying pressure by using a clean handkerchief or gauze.
Clean the affected area by bathing or gently rinsing.
Are there any broken or teeth missing? If so, try and locate them.
Use appropriate pain relief.
It is important that you contact us for further advice.

If an adult or permanent tooth has been knocked out completely

You must only handle the crown (part of the tooth that you would see in your mouth) of the tooth.
If it is dirty gently rinse with cold water, for a few seconds – do not scrub.
Store it in milk or saliva (by holding it between the teeth and the cheek.)
Contact the dentist immediately as time is critical!

If you have a loose or broken denture

Leave your denture out as much as possible, if it is very loose or uncomfortable.
Denture fixative may help.
We will see you to adjust or repair your denture ONLY when normal service resumes.
There may be some local denture laboratories able to help, however this may incur a charge.

If you have braces or an orthodontic appliance that is broken or uncomfortable

Contact your orthodontist.
The British Orthodontic Society website provides some patient advice on managing other orthodontic problems.

Teething

If you need any advice regarding teething for you baby or toddler, NHS tips can be found here.
Some children can experience discomfort when their adult or permanent molars come through, behind their baby teeth (from about 6 years of age). Pain came be managed by pain relief and good tooth-brushing in the area.

What is deemed a dental emergency?

Facial swelling that is significant, worsening or accompanied by a fever (this may cause trouble swallowing, breathing or cause your eye to close.)
If you have suffered trauma and are bleeding from broken or missing teeth.
Severe dental pain that cannot be controlled following self-help advice.
If you have had a recent extraction and you are unable to control the bleeding yourself, manage post-operative pain or suspect infection.

All of these dental emergencies will require urgent professional attention and you should either contact:

Our dental admin team if we are your usual dentist
your own dental practice or
If you do not have a regular dentist and need further advice please contact Revive Dental Care on 0161 476 9651.

Please remember if you or anyone that you are living with is showing symptoms of Covid-19, it is important that you let us know.

Stop smoking support and advice

Most people are now aware that smoking is bad for their health. It can cause many different medical problems and in some cases fatal diseases. However, many people don’t realise the damage that smoking does to their mouth, gums and teeth.

Smoking can lead to tooth staining, gum disease, tooth loss, bad breath, reduced sense of taste and smell, reduced blood supply to the mouth and in more severe cases mouth cancer.

If you need support to help you stop smoking, please visit NHS Better Health or visit ‘I want to stop smoking’ for local services in Cheshire and Merseyside.