Emergency dentist in Palma de Mallorca
If you have toothache that is keeping you up at night, a swollen face or a broken tooth, call us on +34 971 767 521: at Clínicas Udemax we see dental emergencies in Palma on the same day. We are open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, with no lunchtime closure, and we keep appointments free every day for patients who come in with an emergency.
Our first priority is to stop the pain. The second is to find out why it started, because dental pain rarely comes out of nowhere: it is usually a sign of deep decay, an infection or a crack that has been developing for some time. We have three clinics in Palma and treat patients from all over Mallorca.
Appointment for your dental emergency
Monday to Friday, no lunchtime closure
In Palma, including one for children
Examination and digital X-ray
Do you have a dental emergency?
Leave us your details and we will call you back to book you in today.
If the pain is severe or the swelling is getting worse, it is quicker to call us directly on +34 971 767 521.
What counts as a dental emergency?
A dental emergency is any problem in the mouth that needs attention within hours rather than weeks: because the pain is severe, because there is an infection that could spread or because, as with a tooth knocked out in an accident, time decides whether it can be saved. These are the cases we see every day:
Severe toothache
Pain that your usual painkiller does not relieve, that throbs or that wakes you up at night. It usually means the nerve is inflamed or infected, and it is often resolved with root canal treatment.
Dental abscess or swollen face
Swelling of the gum or face caused by an infection. Antibiotics alone are not enough: the source has to be treated. We explain this in our guide to dental abscesses.
Broken or chipped tooth
From a knock, biting on something hard or decay that has weakened the tooth. Depending on how much is missing, we repair it with a dental reconstruction or a crown.
Tooth knocked out
This is the emergency where time matters most. A permanent tooth put back in place quickly can often be saved; further down we explain what to do until you reach us.
Lost crown, veneer or filling
It is not usually painful, but it leaves the tooth exposed and it can break. Keep the piece: it can often be cemented back in the same visit.
Bleeding or broken denture
Bleeding that does not stop after an extraction, or a broken denture that stops you eating or speaking. Also an inflamed wisdom tooth that is coming through.
Not sure whether it is urgent? Call us and tell us what is happening. We will assess over the phone how long it can wait and, if necessary, give you an appointment that same day.
When to go to hospital A&E instead of the dentist
Some infections and injuries to the mouth need immediate hospital care. Call 112, the European emergency number, or go to a hospital emergency department if:
- The swelling reaches your eye, spreads down towards your neck or is growing very quickly.
- You have a high temperature as well as the swelling.
- You find it hard to swallow, breathe or open your mouth.
- You lost consciousness after a blow to the face.
- You think your jaw may be broken: your teeth do not meet properly or you cannot close your mouth.
Once you are stable, we will see you at the clinic to treat the tooth that caused the problem. As both doctors and dentists, we also assess when a dental infection may be affecting your general health and needs medical treatment.
What to do until you reach the clinic
If you have severe toothache
Take the painkiller you normally use, following the leaflet. Do not put an aspirin against the gum, as it burns the tissue, and do not apply heat. If there is swelling, hold something cold against the outside of your face on and off, and call us: it should be diagnosed with an X-ray as soon as possible.
If you break a tooth
Rinse your mouth with lukewarm water and keep the fragment in milk or water. If the edge is cutting your tongue or cheek, cover it with dental wax or sugar-free chewing gum. Come to the clinic the same day.
If a whole tooth is knocked out
Pick it up by the crown, never by the root, and rinse it briefly without scrubbing. If you can, push it back into its socket and bite on a piece of gauze. If not, keep it in milk or inside your mouth, against your cheek. Ideally, get to the clinic within an hour.
If a crown or filling falls out
Keep the crown and do not stick it back with household glue: it can damage both the tooth and the crown. Pharmacies sell a temporary dental cement that lasts a few hours. Chew on the other side and call us to have it re-cemented.
If it bleeds after an extraction
Bite firmly on a folded piece of gauze for 30 minutes, without rinsing or spitting. If it has not stopped after that, or it starts bleeding heavily again, call us.
If it is a baby tooth
Do not try to put it back: you could damage the permanent tooth developing underneath. Keep it and bring your child to the clinic. You will find more advice in our guide to first aid for dental injuries in children.
Why milk, and why one hour? The guidelines of the International Association of Dental Traumatology recommend putting a permanent tooth back in place as soon as possible, or keeping it in milk or in the mouth if that is not possible, because the cells on the root start to die once they dry out. After about 60 minutes out of the mouth and dry, the outlook gets much worse. Read the IADT guidelines.
How we handle a dental emergency
From the moment you call us until the tooth has been treated, in four steps.
You call and we fit you in
Call us on +34 971 767 521 or send us a WhatsApp message and tell us what has happened. We ask about your symptoms, your general health and any medication you take, give you an appointment the same day and tell you what to do in the meantime.
Diagnosis with an X-ray
We examine the area and take a digital X-ray to see what is not visible to the naked eye: decay under a filling, an infection at the tip of the root or a crack.
First, stop the pain
We treat the urgent problem under local anaesthetic: draining an abscess, opening and cleaning the nerve, protecting a broken tooth or putting back one that has been knocked out. We only prescribe antibiotics when the infection requires them.
Then, the definitive treatment
Once the emergency is under control, we explain what happened and what the tooth needs so that it does not cause problems again. If you need root canal treatment, it is carried out by Dr Cristina Mateu, who leads endodontics in our team.
Who will treat your emergency
Emergencies are seen by the team led by the Martínez-Almoyna doctors, physicians and dentists who have worked in Palma for decades, together with specialists in endodontics and oral surgery.
“Dental pain almost never comes out of nowhere: it is usually a sign of deep decay, an infection or a crack that has been developing for some time. That is why we open from 8 am to 8 pm and keep appointments free every day for emergencies. The first thing is to stop the pain; the second is to understand why it started. An emergency treated in time very often saves the tooth.”
— Dr Emilio Martínez-Almoyna, Clínicas Udemax
Where we treat dental emergencies in Palma
Udemax Miramar
Outpatient Department, Hospital Juaneda Miramar
Camí de la Vileta, 30 · 07011 Palma
- Monday to Thursday
- 9:00–13:00 · 16:00–20:00
- Friday
- 9:00–20:00
Emardental
Carrer d'Alfons el Magnànim, 2, ground floor
07004 Palma · city centre
- Monday to Thursday
- 9:00–13:00 · 16:00–20:00
- Friday
- 9:00–13:00
Arcdental · children
Carrer de Sevilla, 8, ground floor
07013 Palma · children's emergencies
- Monday and Wednesday
- 16:00–20:00
- Tuesday
- 9:00–13:00 · 16:00–20:00
- Thursday
- 13:00–19:00
- Friday
- 15:00–19:00
Not sure which clinic to go to? Call our appointments line on +34 971 767 521 and we will book you into the one nearest to you. If the emergency involves a child, we can see them at Arcdental, our paediatric dentistry clinic, or at Emardental, in the centre of Palma.
Content reviewed by Dr Emilio Martínez-Almoyna Rifá, specialist in stomatology.
Frequently asked questions about dental emergencies
What counts as a dental emergency?
Any problem in the mouth that needs attention within hours: severe pain that painkillers do not relieve, swelling of the gum or face, a broken tooth or one that has been knocked out, bleeding that will not stop after an extraction or a broken denture that stops you eating. If you are not sure, call us and we will assess it over the phone.
Can I come in for a dental emergency without an appointment?
Yes, we see emergencies on the same day. We ask you to call first on +34 971 767 521 or send us a WhatsApp message: that way we can give you a specific time, tell you which clinic to go to and save you waiting.
Are you open at weekends or 24 hours a day?
No. We see emergencies Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, with no lunchtime closure. Outside those hours, if you have a high temperature, the swelling reaches your eye or neck, or you find it hard to swallow or breathe, call 112 or go to a hospital emergency department. For anything else, follow the advice on this page and call us first thing in the morning.
Will you take the tooth out at the emergency appointment?
Only if there is no other way to save it. Our priority is to keep the tooth: in most cases the pain is relieved by cleaning the nerve or draining the infection, and the tooth is then treated with root canal treatment and a reconstruction.
Will antibiotics cure a dental abscess?
Antibiotics help to control the infection, but they do not remove its source, which is usually a dead nerve or a pocket in the gum. If you only take antibiotics, the abscess usually comes back. That is why the tooth needs treating. We explain this in detail in our guide to dental abscesses and how they are treated.
Do you treat children's dental emergencies?
Yes. At Arcdental, our children’s dental clinic, and at Emardental we treat knocks, broken teeth and toothache in children and teenagers. If a baby tooth is knocked out, do not try to put it back: bring it with you to the clinic.
Can I use my dental insurance for an emergency?
We work with several insurance providers. When you call, tell us which one you have and we will explain how it works in your case. You can see the list on our dental insurance page.