If you are in pain right now, call +91 9585 360 320 rather than booking online. We keep slots free each day for urgent problems and will do our best to see you the same day.
Dental Leaf is a multi speciality dental clinic in West Tambaram, Chennai, and we treat dental emergencies for patients from across the Tambaram belt. We are open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday by appointment only. We are not a 24-hour service and we would rather say so plainly than have you find out at two in the morning. If something serious happens outside those hours, the section below on when to go to a hospital instead is the part to read first.
Most dental emergencies are not dangerous, even though they are miserable. A few genuinely are, and telling them apart is the single most useful thing this page can do for you.
Go Straight to a Hospital, Not a Dentist
Some symptoms need a hospital emergency department rather than a dental clinic, whatever the time. A dental infection that reaches the airway is a medical emergency. Do not wait for us to open, and do not wait to see whether it settles.
Difficulty breathing or swallowing
, or a change in your voice. Treat this as an emergency and go now.
Swelling spreading to the eye, under the jaw, or into the neck
, or swelling that is closing your eye.
Swelling with fever, shivering, or feeling very unwell
in yourself, not just sore in the mouth.
Bleeding that will not stop
after 20 minutes of firm, continuous pressure.
A blow to the face with a head injury
, loss of consciousness, confusion, or a jaw that will not close properly.
Uncontrolled bleeding if you take blood-thinning medication
What Counts as a Dental Emergency
These need to be seen promptly, and most can be dealt with at the clinic. Call rather than booking online, so we can judge how urgent it is.
A knocked-out permanent tooth
The most time-critical thing in dentistry — minutes matter. See what to do below.
Severe toothache
, especially pain that keeps you awake, is not relieved by ordinary painkillers, or throbs when you lie down.
Facial swelling
around a tooth, even if it is small. Swelling means infection, and infection spreads.
A broken or cracked tooth
that is painful, or has left a sharp edge cutting your tongue or cheek.
A tooth pushed out of position
by an impact, or one that has suddenly become loose.
Bleeding after an extraction
that has not settled with pressure.
A lost filling or crown
that is causing pain or has left a sharp edge.
An orthodontic wire
digging into the cheek that wax will not control.
An abscess
— a painful swelling on the gum, sometimes with a bad taste.
What to Do Right Now
First aid while you are arranging to be seen. None of this replaces treatment; it buys time and prevents things getting worse.
Knocked-out permanent tooth
Pick it up by the crown, never the root. If it is clean, place it gently back into the socket and hold it there by biting on a clean cloth. If you cannot, keep it in milk — not water, and never dry. Do not scrub it. Get to a dentist as fast as you can. Never reimplant a child's baby tooth.
Severe toothache
Take ordinary pain relief as directed on the packet. A cold compress on the outside of the face helps. Sleeping propped up rather than flat often reduces the throbbing. Do not hold aspirin against the gum — it burns the tissue and makes things worse.
Broken tooth
Save any fragment, keep it moist, and bring it. Rinse gently with warm water, use a cold compress, and avoid chewing on that side. Cover a sharp edge with orthodontic wax or sugar-free gum.
Facial swelling
Arrange to be seen promptly. Watch for the hospital signs above — if the swelling is spreading, or breathing or swallowing changes, go to hospital rather than waiting.
Bleeding after an extraction
Bite firmly on a rolled piece of clean gauze or a folded handkerchief for a full 20 minutes without checking it. Do not rinse, spit or smoke. If it is still bleeding heavily after that, contact us or go to hospital.
Lost crown or filling
Keep the crown, clean it and bring it — it can often be recemented. Avoid chewing on that side. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can protect the tooth meanwhile; do not use household glue.
Orthodontic wire
Cover the end with orthodontic wax. Do not cut a wire yourself unless you have been told how, and never at the back of the mouth.
Something knocked and loosened, but still in place
Leave it alone, eat soft food and be seen quickly. Early splinting may save it.
When We Are Open, and What Happens If We Are Not
The clinic is open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday by appointment only. Call +91 9585 360 320 during those hours and we will do our best to see you the same day for a genuine emergency. Sunday is not a walk-in day, so please call ahead rather than travelling.
We do not run a 24-hour or overnight service. If a problem develops when we are closed and it is severe — particularly any of the hospital signs above — go to a hospital emergency department rather than waiting for us to open. For pain that is manageable with ordinary painkillers, the first aid above will usually get you through until we can see you.
It is worth saying that calling is genuinely better than booking online when something is urgent. A booking form joins a queue; a phone call lets us judge how serious it is and slot you in accordingly.
Getting Here Urgently
Dental Leaf is at 65A, T.T.K. Nagar, West Tambaram, Irumbuliyur — on the western side of the railway line, which is the side that avoids the level crossing when you are in a hurry.
From Tambaram and West Tambaram
We are inside West Tambaram, so you are already close. See dentist in Tambaram.
From Irumbuliyur
The clinic is in your own locality, on T.T.K. Nagar.
From Perungalathur
North up GST Road towards Tambaram. See dentist in Perungalathur.
From Mudichur
East along Mudichur Road, staying on the western side of the tracks. See dentist in Mudichur.
From Peerkankaranai
A short local trip north-east. See dentist in Peerkankaranai.
From Selaiyur and Camp Road
West across Tambaram. See dentist in Selaiyur.
Call before you set off
Tap +91 9585 360 320 — we can tell you whether to come straight in, and start preparing for you.
What Happens at an Emergency Appointment
The first aim is to get you comfortable, not to complete every piece of treatment in one sitting. We examine the area, take an X-ray where it is needed, and establish what is causing the problem — because pain from an infected nerve, a cracked tooth and a gum abscess can feel similar but need different treatment.
Relief usually means numbing the area and dealing with the immediate cause: opening and draining an infection, starting root canal treatment, smoothing or rebuilding a broken tooth, recementing a crown, or removing a tooth that cannot be saved. Definitive work is often completed at a later, unhurried appointment.
You are told what is wrong, what the options are, and what it will cost before treatment starts. Emergency or not, nothing is done without you agreeing to it, and you should not feel rushed into a decision because you are in pain.
Nervous, as Well as in Pain?
Say so when you call. Fear is one of the most common reasons a small problem becomes an emergency in the first place, and arriving in pain and frightened is a genuinely hard place to be. Knowing in advance lets us plan the appointment around it — more time, clear explanation of each step, and a signal to stop whenever you need to. See dental anxiety.
Who Will Treat You
Whoever is available will see you — that is the nature of an urgent appointment — and you can meet our dentists here. The aim at an emergency visit is to get you comfortable and establish what is wrong; definitive treatment is usually planned for a later, unhurried appointment. Where a problem needs specialist care, such as a complex surgical extraction, we will arrange the referral.
Emergency Dental Care Questions, Answered
Related Treatments and Conditions
Chipped or Broken Tooth
What to do first, including a tooth that has been knocked out.
Tooth Pain: What It Means
What different kinds of toothache can point to.
Root Canal Treatment
Often what relieves severe pain from an infected nerve.
Loose Teeth
A tooth loosened by a knock should be seen the same day.
Gum Disease Treatment
Where a painful gum swelling turns out to be periodontal.
Dental Anxiety
Tell us when you call, and we will plan around it.
We see urgent patients from Tambaram, Perungalathur, Selaiyur, Mudichur and Peerkankaranai — see all the areas we serve.
Written by Dental Leaf Clinical Team. Last updated 2026-08-18. This page is general information about a treatment and is not a diagnosis — what is right for you depends on a clinical assessment.
In Dental Pain Right Now?
Call +91 9585 360 320 rather than booking online — we can judge how urgent it is and fit you in. We are open Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday by appointment only.
