After-Hours Emergency Dental Protocols
Dental emergencies don't respect business hours. This comprehensive guide will help you effectively navigate dental emergency situations that occur in the evening, on weekends, or on holidays.
Our Communication System
During Opening Hours
- Call us to schedule a check-up appointment
- WhatsApp for quick questions with photos
- Email for detailed non-urgent requests
After Opening Hours
- WhatsApp: Quick response for emergencies (photos recommended)
- Email: For less urgent situations
- No phone consultations - we prefer clinical evaluation.
Why no phone consultations?
- Complete evaluation is essential
- Photos, X-rays, examinations allow better diagnosis
- Written documentation for your file
- More precise advice with visual support
After-Hours Emergency Classification
🚨 Level 1: Life-Threatening Emergencies (Immediate Action - Hospital)
Go directly to emergency room if:
- Severe facial swelling causing breathing difficulties
- Swelling extending under jaw or toward nose/upper eyelid
- High fever with facial swelling
- Severe facial trauma with broken jaw or skull bones
- Uncontrollable bleeding for more than one hour
- Very poor general condition
Recommended hospitals near Chavannes-près-Renens:
- CHUV - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois
- Clinique de Montchoisi (24/7 emergencies)
- Hôpital de Morges
⚠️ Level 2: Serious Dental Emergencies (Contact Emergency Dentist)
Call our emergency service for:
- Completely avulsed tooth (knocked out)
- Severe dental pain not controlled by medication
- Dental abscess with localized swelling
- Broken tooth with exposed nerve
- Dental trauma with mobile teeth
ℹ️ Level 3: Minor Emergencies (First Aid + Next Business Day Appointment)
Can wait until morning with appropriate care:
- Lost crown or filling without severe pain
- Small tooth chip
- Mild to moderate discomfort
- Non-painful orthodontic appliance problems
Specific Management Protocols
💊 Pain Management
External Applications:
- Cold compress: 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off
- Sleep with head elevated
- NEVER heat - worsens inflammation
🩸 Bleeding Control
Immediate Steps:
- Clean gauze or cloth on bleeding area
- Firm, constant pressure for 15-20 minutes
- Do not remove gauze - add more if needed
- Sit upright, head slightly forward
⚠️ Seek Immediate Help If:
- Bleeding continues after 30 minutes
- Blood loss seems significant
- Dizziness or weakness
🦷 Dental Trauma Management
Complete Tooth Avulsion (Knocked Out):
- Find the tooth - handle by crown only
- Rinse gently with saline or milk (never scrub)
- Try to reinsert in socket if possible
- If not possible: store in milk, saline, or saliva
- Contact emergency dentist immediately
Broken/Chipped Tooth:
- Save any tooth fragments
- Rinse mouth with warm water
- Cover sharp edges with dental wax or sugar-free gum
- Take photo and contact via WhatsApp
Available After-Hours Services
✅ Available Emergency Services
- WhatsApp consultation with photos
- Emergency appointment within 24-48h
- Pain management guidance
- Immediate care instructions
- Hospital referral if necessary
- Emergency dental procedures (when possible)
📱 Response Times:
- WhatsApp: Usually within 1-3 hours
- Urgent cases: Priority response
- Emergency appointments: Same or next day
❌ Services Not Available After Hours
- Routine cleanings and check-ups
- Cosmetic procedures
- Complex surgical procedures
- Orthodontic adjustments
- Phone consultations (we prefer visual assessment)
- Non-urgent treatments
⏰ Schedule During Business Hours:
These services require full equipment, adequate time, and optimal conditions available during regular hours.
📋 What to Expect During After-Hours Contact
📱 Initial Contact:
- Send photos via WhatsApp if possible
- Describe symptoms clearly
- Mention any medication taken
- Indicate pain level (1-10)
🔍 Our Assessment:
- Review photos and symptoms
- Determine urgency level
- Provide immediate care instructions
- Schedule appropriate follow-up
Digital Contact & Emergency Preparation
📱 Guide for Effective WhatsApp Contact
📸 Essential Photos to Send:
- Clear photo of affected tooth/area
- Overall mouth view if multiple teeth involved
- Close-up of specific problem area
- Any visible swelling on face/jaw
- Broken tooth fragments if available
📝 Key Information to Include:
- Pain level (scale 1-10)
- When did symptoms start?
- What triggers/relieves pain?
- Medications already taken
- Any relevant medical history
💡 Pro Tips for Better Photos:
- Use phone flashlight or natural light
- Hold phone steady, take multiple angles
- Ask someone to help if needed
🧰 Dental First Aid Kit for Home
💊 Medications:
- Ibuprofen 400mg (anti-inflammatory)
- Paracetamol 500mg (pain relief)
- Antiseptic mouthwash
- Topical anesthetic gel (if available)
🩹 Supplies:
- Sterile gauze pads
- Small container with lid (for tooth storage)
- Dental wax or sugar-free gum
- Small flashlight
📋 Information:
- Emergency contact numbers
- Medical history summary
- Current medications list
- Insurance information
📞 Important Emergency Numbers for Chavannes-près-Renens
🚨 General Emergencies:
- 144 - Ambulance
- 117 - Police
- 118 - Fire Department
🏥 Hospital Emergency Rooms:
- CHUV: 021 314 11 11
- Clinique Montchoisi: 021 619 39 39
- Morges Hospital: 021 804 22 11
🦷 Our Emergency Service:
- WhatsApp: 076 623 34 64
- Email: info@dentistedorigny.ch
- Address: Rue Senedu Gebru 5, 1022 Chavannes-près-Renens, Suisse
💾 Save these numbers in your phone for quick access during emergencies
Special Cases & Particular Considerations
👶 Pediatric Dental Emergencies
🍼 Children Under 6 Years:
- More sensitive to medications - reduce dosages
- Primary teeth: less urgent for avulsion
- Calming techniques essential
- Parent involvement crucial
🧒 Children 6-12 Years:
- Mixed dentition - identify permanent vs primary teeth
- Permanent teeth: treat as adult emergencies
- Sports-related injuries common
⚠️ Special Pediatric Considerations:
- Weight-based medication dosing required
- Different swelling patterns in children
- Higher anxiety levels - extra reassurance needed
⚕️ High-Risk Patients
💊 Anticoagulant Patients:
- Prolonged bleeding expected
- Apply pressure for longer periods
- Avoid aspirin-based painkillers
- Contact us immediately for any bleeding
🫀 Heart Conditions:
- Infection risk more serious
- May require antibiotic prophylaxis
- Stress management crucial
- Monitor for unusual symptoms
🍭 Diabetic Patients:
- Slower healing process
- Higher infection risk
- Monitor blood sugar levels
- Maintain regular medication schedule
🦷 Orthodontic Appliance Emergencies
🔧 True Orthodontic Emergencies:
- Severe pain not relieved by wax or pain medication
- Trauma causing loose or embedded wires
- Infection or severe swelling around appliance
- Difficulty swallowing or breathing due to appliance
🩹 Temporary Relief Measures:
- Orthodontic wax on sharp edges
- Salt water rinses for irritation
- Soft foods only until professional help
- Document issue with photos
Follow-up Protocols
⏰ Immediate Follow-up (24-48 hours)
🔄 What We Will Check:
- Pain level improvement or worsening
- Swelling progression
- Treatment effectiveness
- Need for additional interventions
- Medication tolerance and side effects
📋 Patient Responsibilities:
- Monitor symptoms closely
- Take medications as prescribed
- Document changes with photos if possible
- Contact immediately if symptoms worsen
📅 Medium-term Follow-up (1-2 weeks)
🔍 Healing Assessment:
- Complete healing verification
- X-rays if necessary
- Function restoration check
- Adjacent teeth evaluation
🏥 Treatment Planning:
- Definitive treatment planning
- Long-term prognosis discussion
- Prevention strategies
- Insurance coordination if needed
📚 Patient Education:
- Future emergency prevention
- Oral hygiene modifications
- Warning signs to watch for
- When to seek immediate help again
📁 Documentation & Record Keeping
💾 What We Document:
- Complete emergency timeline
- All communications (WhatsApp, email, phone)
- Treatment provided and patient response
- Photos and radiographs
- Medications prescribed and patient tolerance
🔄 Quality Improvement:
- Emergency response time analysis
- Patient satisfaction feedback
- Treatment outcome evaluation
- Protocol effectiveness review
- Continuous improvement initiatives
🎯 Our goal: Continuous improvement of emergency care quality and patient experience
Summer Schedule
Monday12h-20h
Tuesday9h-17h
Wednesday8h-18h
Thursday12h-20h
Friday9h-15h
Saturday9h-15h
Special hours for the summer season.
Ready to book an appointment?
Address:
Rue Senedu Gebru 5, 1022 Chavannes-près-Renens, Suisse