How do same-day dental appointments work in Cape Town?

Where possible, Dr Davies offers a same-day appointment in the Cape Town city centre for a problem that cannot wait, such as severe pain, swelling or a broken tooth. Call and describe what has happened. Whether you are offered a same-day slot depends on how urgent your problem sounds and how the day’s appointments are already booked.

In short

• A same-day appointment is offered where possible, not guaranteed, for problems such as severe pain, swelling, or a broken or knocked-out tooth.
• Call as early in the day as you can and describe your symptoms clearly, since this helps the practice judge how soon you need to be seen.
• A milder problem, such as a small chip or an ache that settles with pain relief, can usually wait for a routine appointment.
• Same-day care is also offered on a Saturday morning, within the practice’s shorter Saturday hours.
• Some symptoms, such as spreading facial swelling or trouble breathing, need a hospital emergency unit rather than a same-day dental appointment.

How does a same-day appointment work?

Call as early as you can and describe what has happened, how severe the pain feels, and how long it has been going on. The person answering the phone uses this to judge how urgent your problem is, since not every caller needs to be seen that same day. Have any relevant details ready, such as whether a tooth has come out completely, whether there is swelling, or whether pain relief has helped at all. If your question is not urgent, for example if you would like to book a future appointment or ask something general, you can also ask a question or request an appointment through this site rather than calling.

Visitors to Cape Town are offered same-day appointments in the same way, and toothache on holiday in Cape Town explains how payment and travel insurance work. Ship crew are usually seen on the day the ship is in port, through the ship’s agent, as dental care for ship crew in Cape Town explains.

What kind of problems are usually seen the same day?

Problems that typically justify a same-day appointment include severe or throbbing pain that ordinary pain relief does not settle, a knocked-out or badly broken tooth, swelling in the face or gum, or a lost filling or crown that has left a tooth painful. What counts as a dental emergency? sets out this list in more detail, including which problems can usually wait for a routine appointment instead.

What if my pain is worse at night or I am not sure how urgent it is?

Dental pain often feels worse at night, which can make it hard to judge whether it needs same-day attention. If the pain is severe, keeps you awake, or comes with a raised temperature or swelling, it is worth calling as soon as the practice opens rather than waiting to see if it settles. What can I do about severe toothache at night? covers what you can try while you wait to be seen, and when to treat the pain as urgent.

Can I get a same-day appointment on a Saturday?

Same-day care is offered where possible on a Saturday morning too, within the practice’s shorter hours. See Is there a dentist open on a Saturday in Cape Town city centre? for how Saturday appointments generally work.

When should I go to a hospital emergency unit instead?

A same-day dental appointment is not the right option if swelling is spreading towards your eye or neck, if you are struggling to breathe, swallow or speak, if bleeding from the mouth will not stop, or if there has been an injury to the head. These are medical emergencies as well as dental ones. The dental emergency guidance on this site sets this out in more detail, including when to call an ambulance rather than a dentist.

How do I reach Dr Davies?

To ask for a same-day appointment, call Dr Davies directly on her own mobile, which is shown on this page, and describe your symptoms. Dr Davies practises at BRS Dental on Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre, a short walk from Cape Town station, and this page gives general information rather than a diagnosis, since only an examination can confirm what is actually wrong.