What should I do about toothache on holiday in Cape Town?

Call a dentist early in the day rather than waiting until you get home. Dr Davies sees visitors at BRS Dental in the Cape Town city centre, with same-day appointments where possible, and you receive an account to claim from your travel insurer. If swelling spreads towards your eye or neck, or you struggle to breathe or swallow, go to a hospital emergency unit.

In short

• Toothache, a broken tooth or a lost filling on holiday is worth a call to a dentist during your stay if the pain is severe or does not settle.
• Dr Davies sees visitors at BRS Dental in the Cape Town city centre, on weekdays and on Saturday mornings, with same-day appointments where possible.
• Card payments are accepted, and you receive an account for your treatment to claim from your own travel insurer.
• Swelling that spreads towards your eye or neck, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, needs a hospital emergency unit rather than a dentist.

Should I wait until I get home?

It is better not to wait if the pain is severe, keeps you awake or does not settle with ordinary pain relief, or if a tooth has broken or a filling has come out and the tooth is sore. Over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can help while you wait to be seen, taken as the packet directs. What can I do about severe toothache at night? covers what you can try until then, and what to do about a broken or chipped tooth covers a damaged tooth.

Can I be seen the same day as a visitor?

Same-day appointments are offered where possible, to visitors as well as to patients who live in Cape Town, on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:00 and on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00. Call as early as you can, describe what has happened, and say how long you are staying in Cape Town, so that the practice can take your dates into account. How same-day dental appointments work explains how urgency is judged.

How do I pay, and will my travel insurance cover it?

Card payments are accepted, and fees are discussed with reception. You receive an account for your treatment, which you submit to your own travel insurer. The practice does not claim from travel insurers on your behalf, so it is worth checking what your policy says about dental treatment and keeping the account and any receipts.

Where is the practice?

BRS Dental is on the 12th floor of The Felix (formerly Picbel Parkade), 58 Strand Street, in the Cape Town city centre, a short walk from Cape Town station. Measured in a straight line on OpenStreetMap, it is about 1.2 km from the Cape Town Cruise Terminal and about 1.9 km from the V&A Waterfront. Visiting the practice has a map and directions in Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze.

When should I go to a hospital instead?

Go to a hospital emergency unit at once if swelling in your face spreads towards your eye or neck, if you struggle to breathe, swallow or speak, if bleeding from your mouth will not stop, or after an injury to the head. In an emergency, call an ambulance, for example on 112 from a cellphone or on 10177. The dental emergency guide explains what to do for a knocked-out or broken tooth until you are seen.

What if it happens at night or on a Sunday?

The practice is open on weekdays from 8:30 to 17:00 and on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 12:00, and it is closed on Sundays. Outside those hours, you can still reach Dr Davies on her own mobile, and emergency appointments are available at weekends and on public holidays. The practice does not close over December and January. Is there a dentist open on a Sunday or public holiday in Cape Town? explains what to do on those days, and finding a dentist after hours in Cape Town explains how after-hours care works.

How do I reach Dr Davies?

Call Dr Davies directly on her own mobile, which is shown on this page, in practice hours or after them. You can also ask for an appointment through this site. If you are in Cape Town as part of a ship’s crew, dental care for ship crew in Cape Town explains how the ship’s agent arranges an appointment.