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Introduction
Dental problems have a habit of starting on a Friday, in another country. Knowing which ones are genuinely urgent takes most of the panic out of it.
TLDR;
- Facial swelling with fever or difficulty swallowing is an emergency, go now.
- A knocked-out adult tooth can often be saved if replanted within an hour.
- A lost crown or filling is urgent but safe; keep the piece and stay off that side.
- Take a photograph in good light and send it before you look for a clinic.
- Do not put aspirin on the gum; it burns the tissue.
Swelling
Swelling means infection is spreading. If it reaches the eye or the floor of the mouth, or you have fever or trouble swallowing or breathing, go to a hospital emergency department, not a dental practice. Otherwise a same-day dental appointment and drainage is the right route.
A knocked-out tooth
Hold it by the crown, never the root. Rinse briefly in milk or saline if it is dirty, and put it back in the socket if you can. If not, keep it in milk, not water, and get seen within the hour. Baby teeth are not replanted.
Broken tooth or lost crown
Keep the fragment or the crown in a tissue. Avoid chewing on that side, keep the area clean and use a temporary dental cement from a pharmacy if the tooth is sharp. Superglue is never the answer.
Pain that keeps you awake
Lingering pain, especially at night, usually means the pulp is involved and a root canal is likely. Painkillers help you sleep but do not treat the cause, so book an appointment rather than waiting for it to settle.
What we do at Dental Oasis
Send a photograph on WhatsApp and we tell you what it looks like and how quickly you need to be seen. We keep same-day slots for patients who are already in Tirana.