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If you need urgent dental treatment following an injury or accident, our dentists are here to help. We offer flexible opening times and we have emergency slots available on a daily basis. All you have to do is contact reception and they will get you an appointment as quickly as possible.
One of the issues we treat urgently is soft tissue trauma, which often results from an accident or sports injury. Examples of soft tissue injuries include scalds, cuts and lacerations and puncture wounds.

What causes soft tissue injuries?

There are various possible causes of soft tissue injuries. Severe injuries tend to result from blows to the face or contact with harmful objects or surfaces resulting from slips, trips, falls or sporting accidents. Other possible causes include:

• brushing too hard
• tooth decay and dental infections
• avulsion (having a tooth knocked out)
• wearing ill-fitting mouth guards or dentures
• oral cancer

Treating soft tissue injuries

When you have an injury, the first thing our dentists will do is ask you some questions and examine your mouth. They will carry out the necessary tests to ascertain the nature and severity of your injuries and this will enable them to plan effective treatment. Your dentist will always take the time to explain their findings, go through treatment options with you and answer your questions.
In cases of injury caused by trauma that require urgent treatment, it is normally necessary to take action to stem bleeding. The soft tissue in the mouth and the face contains dense networks of blood vessels and therefore bleeding can be heavy and prolonged. Once bleeding in under control, your dentist will then check the extent of the damage to the bone structures and the teeth. The findings of their examinations will dictate the most appropriate treatment options.
If the jaw is misaligned or damaged, treatment will be required to reposition it and this may involve surgery. If the teeth are broken or severely chipped, restorative treatments such as crowning will be recommended. If a tooth has been knocked out, it may be possible to save the tooth by re-implanting it back into the socket quickly after the incident. If the tooth cannot be saved, there are some really effective tooth replacement treatments available, including bridges, dentures and dental implants.
In cases where damage is restricted to the soft tissue, such as cuts, once the bleeding is stemmed dentists can recommend self-help techniques to ease discomfort. These include taking over the counter pain relief and applying an ice pack to the mouth to ease swelling.