At weekends and on public holidays, on-call and round-the-clock dental clinics handle emergencies. Here is what can wait and what cannot.
A toothache that starts on a Saturday or during a public holiday does not have to be endured until the offices reopen. On-call and round-the-clock dental clinics work on those days too. In a city like Antalya, with both a large resident population and many visitors, clinics that stay open on holidays matter a great deal. Call ahead to confirm they are open and a suitable dentist is available.
What should be seen the same day
- Swelling of the face, under the eye, under the jaw or in the neck
- Fever, chills, difficulty swallowing or reduced mouth opening
- Pain that breaks your sleep and ignores painkillers
- A tooth broken, loosened or knocked out by an injury
- Bleeding after an extraction that will not stop
- Discharge from the gum with a persistent bad taste
- A deep cut to the lip or tongue
What can usually wait
- A painless lost filling or lost crown
- Brief sensitivity to cold that stops when the stimulus is removed
- A small chip of enamel with no sharp edge
- Planned work such as scaling or whitening
- A denture rubbing slightly without any fracture
This is a guide, not a rule. If the pain intensifies or new symptoms appear, bring the visit forward.
What to bring
Write down the medicines you take regularly, especially blood thinners and treatments for blood pressure or diabetes, and mention allergies, past operations and chronic conditions. Bring any recent dental X-rays you have. If a piece of tooth has broken off, bring it in milk or saline. Take your identification and insurance details with you.
Managing the pain on the way
Keep your head raised, use a cold compress on the outside of the cheek and rinse gently with warm salty water. Chew on the other side and avoid very hot or cold drinks. Stay within the daily limit on any painkiller packet. Do not crush aspirin onto the gum, apply heat to a swelling, try to burst an abscess yourself or restart leftover antibiotics, since all of these irritate the tissue and make diagnosis harder.
If you are here on holiday
Coming from another city does not mean everything must be finished in one appointment. The emergency stage aims to stop the pain and control the infection; the definitive work can continue in the following days or after you return. Ask your dentist for a written note of what was done and what comes next.
There is somewhere to go on holidays and weekends, and waiting days in pain is not necessary. Our Muratpaşa clinic is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether you are looking for a weekend dental clinic, a clinic open during public holidays, or an on-call dentist at night.
