Most toothaches that send someone searching for a city dentist mid-morning can be fixed in one visit by a general dentist. The tricky part is getting into a chair the same day and knowing the person in it is registered. I’d also look at your extras cover before you go. Finding out at the front desk that your waiting period hasn’t finished is a rotten end to an already bad morning.
Signs your tooth pain needs a dentist today
A tooth that twinges with cold drinks can usually wait for a normal booking. This rundown of the 7 types of pain that require a dental clinic appointment covers the symptoms in more detail. As a working rule, try for a same-day appointment if:
- the pain keeps you awake, or over-the-counter pain relief barely touches it
- the gum or cheek around the sore tooth has started to swell
A cracked tooth that hurts sharply when you bite belongs in the same group. So does a knocked-out adult tooth, and that one can’t wait. Pick it up by the crown, not the root. Push it back into the socket if you can. If you can’t, carry it in a small container of milk and get moving. Speed matters more here than which clinic you choose.
Red flags: go to hospital instead
A dental infection that spreads into the face or neck can close off your airway. Skip the dentist and go to an emergency department, or call 000, if you notice:
- swelling creeping up towards your eye or down into your neck
- trouble breathing or swallowing
- a fever with a swollen face
- a raised, firm feeling under your tongue
- a jaw injury from a fall or a hit, especially if your teeth no longer meet properly when you close your mouth
Emergency departments see these cases often. Nobody there will think you overreacted.
Booking a same-day dentist in the Melbourne CBD
CBD clinics don’t all handle urgent cases the same way. Some hold a few emergency slots each morning. Others will only fit you in after a phone triage, so ring before you walk over. Gorgeous Smiles dental clinic on Exhibition Street is one that books same-day emergency appointments if you call first.
Whichever clinic you pick, check that the dentist is registered with AHPRA (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency). Every practising dentist in Australia has to be.
How to check the AHPRA register
The register is free and takes about a minute. Search by name, or by registration number if you have it (dental numbers start with “DEN”). You’ll see whether the registration is current and whether any conditions limit how that dentist can practise. Some clinics list each dentist’s number on their website, which saves you a step.
The listing also shows specialist registration. Only dentists registered as specialists with the Dental Board of Australia can call themselves an endodontist or oral surgeon. You won’t need one for most emergencies. A general dentist can take out a tooth or start a root canal.
What to say when you phone
Tell the receptionist which tooth hurts and how long it has been going on. If there’s swelling, say so early. In my experience that is the detail most likely to move you up the list.
Ring as soon as the clinic opens. Emergency slots go quickly, and by lunchtime many CBD practices have none left.
Don’t expect the whole problem fixed in one go. A same-day visit is mostly about working out what’s wrong and stopping the pain. With an infected tooth, the dentist might open and dress it today, then book you back for the rest of the root canal.
If you can’t get a private appointment
Medicare doesn’t cover most adult dental care, so without extras cover a private emergency visit comes out of your own pocket. If you hold a health care card or pension concession card, the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne on Swanston Street in Carlton provides emergency dental care to eligible Victorians. It’s a short tram ride north of the CBD. Expect a wait, sometimes a long one, and read the eligibility rules before you go.
What to ask at your first appointment
You’ll probably get a couple of minutes at the end before the next patient comes in. I’d spend them on these two:
- What’s causing the pain, and can you show me on the X-ray?
- Is today’s work temporary, and what will the follow-up cost?
On the way out, ask what to do if the pain or swelling gets worse overnight. Then ask for the item numbers on today’s treatment.
Item numbers are what health funds pay rebates against. A limited emergency exam is usually item 013, and a single small X-ray is 022. Give your fund those numbers and it can tell you exactly what it will pay, which beats guessing from the policy brochure.
How HICAPS claiming works
Most CBD practices have a HICAPS terminal at the front desk, and it lodges your claim on the spot. You swipe your health fund card and the rebate comes straight off the bill. You pay the gap. How big that gap is depends on your extras policy and how much of this year’s limit you’ve already used.
New policy? Check the waiting periods. Two months for general dental and 12 months for major work such as crowns are common, so a policy you took out three weeks ago probably won’t cover today’s visit.
