Patient guides

Patient guides from Deepcar Dental Care. Clear answers, reviewed by a dentist.

55 guides written by the clinicians at Deepcar Dental Care and reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, so you can understand what is happening, how urgent it is and what to do next, before you pick up the phone.

Emergency help now Dental implants

How these guides are written

Every guide on this site is written by the dental team at Deepcar Dental Care and clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, Principal Dentist (GDC 301711), before it is published. We write them because the questions people type into their phone at 11pm are the questions we answer on the telephone every day, and a calm, accurate answer is often what someone needs most.

The clinical content follows current UK guidance, including the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP) advice on managing acute dental problems and antibiotic prescribing, the International Association of Dental Traumatology guidelines for knocked-out and injured teeth, and NICE guidance where it applies. Prices quoted are our own published fees. Where the honest answer is “it depends”, we say what it depends on rather than pretending otherwise.

Medical disclaimer: These guides are general information. They are not a substitute for an examination, and nothing on this site can diagnose your tooth. If you are in pain, call us on 0114 288 2121; we keep same-day emergency appointments every day from 8am to 8pm. If you have difficulty breathing or swallowing, or facial swelling that is spreading towards your eye or neck, go to A&E.

Each guide shows the date it was last reviewed. If you spot something that is out of date or unclear, email info@deepcardentalcare.co.uk and we will look at it.

14 guides

Emergency symptoms

What your pain, swelling or sensitivity is likely to mean, how urgent it is, and what to do in the next hour. Start here if something hurts now.

Severe toothache

Constant, throbbing or waking you at night.

Swollen face or dental infection

Swelling of the gum, jaw or face.

Broken or chipped tooth

What to do and when it can’t wait.

Knocked-out tooth

The 60-minute window and what to do immediately.

Lost filling or crown

When a lost restoration is an emergency.

Loose adult tooth

Why it happens and when it’s urgent.

Pain when biting or chewing

Cracks, infection and bite problems.

Sensitive to hot or cold

When lingering sensitivity signals nerve trouble.

Sharp shooting tooth pain

The electric jolt and what it means.

Pain after a filling

What’s normal and what isn’t.

Pain after an extraction

Normal healing versus dry socket and infection.

Jaw pain or earache from a tooth

When infection spreads beyond the tooth.

Headache from a dental infection

Referred pain from hidden infection.

Bleeding gums or bleeding after injury

When bleeding is a dental emergency.

6 guides

Emergency conditions

The problems behind the pain: cracked teeth, abscesses, wisdom tooth infections, root fractures and trauma, and how a dentist tells them apart.

Cracked tooth

Symptoms, risks and emergency treatment for deep cracks.

Fractured cusp

When part of the tooth breaks away.

Gum abscess

Pus in the gums and how it is drained.

Pericoronitis (wisdom tooth infection)

Infection around an erupting wisdom tooth.

Root fracture

Cracks below the gum line and what they mean for the tooth.

Tooth trauma

Injuries from falls, sport and accidents.

16 guides

Emergency treatments

What actually happens in the chair, step by step, what it costs here, and how to look after yourself afterwards.

Emergency examination & X-rays

Diagnosis first: what the £30 assessment includes.

Emergency temporary filling

Stabilising a tooth after a lost filling or fracture.

Emergency root canal treatment

Immediate relief for pulp pain and infection.

Pulpectomy

Removing the infected pulp to control pain and infection.

Incision & drainage

Safely draining a dental abscess.

Antibiotics for dental infection

When antibiotics help, and why they are not a cure.

Emergency tooth extraction

When removing the tooth is the safest option.

Same-day tooth extraction

Assessment and extraction in one visit.

Surgical extraction

Broken roots and complex removals.

Dry socket management

Relief for pain after an extraction.

Recementing a crown

Refitting a crown that has come off.

Temporary crown

Protecting a prepared or broken tooth.

Splinting a loose tooth

Stabilising teeth loosened by trauma.

Knocked-out tooth reimplantation

Putting an avulsed tooth back, fast.

Irrigation & antibiotic dressing

Cleaning and dressing infected sites.

Occlusal adjustment

Easing a bite that is causing pain.

5 guides

Access and advice

How same-day appointments work, what the £30 examination includes, weekends and nights, and safe temporary fixes while you wait.

Same-day emergency appointments

How urgent access works and how it is prioritised.

Emergency dental fees

What the £30 appointment includes and treatment starting prices.

Weekend & out-of-hours care

What to do when the problem starts outside normal hours.

What counts as a dental emergency?

Urgency is about risk, not just pain.

Temporary fixes before your appointment

Dentist-approved steps to take while you wait.

7 guides

Implant eligibility

Bone, gums, smoking, medical conditions, pain and age: the honest picture of who can and cannot have implants, and what changes the answer.

Am I Eligible for Dental Implants? — Eligibility Overview

Find out if you are eligible for dental implants.

Age and Dental Implants — Am I Too Young or Too Old?

Find out the minimum age for dental implants and whether older patients qualify.

Not Enough Bone for Implants? What Your Options Are

Been told you lack bone for implants?

Can You Get Dental Implants With Gum Disease?

Yes — but only after treatment.

Is Dental Implant Surgery Painful? What to Expect Before Treatment

This page is for patients worried about pain during dental implant placement.

Diabetes, Medications and Systemic Health — Are You Eligible for Implants?

Can you get dental implants with diabetes, bisphosphonates or blood thinners?

Can Smokers Get Dental Implants?

Smoking does not automatically disqualify you from dental implants.