Dental emergency during COP31: what to do first

First, the one situation that is not a dental problem

Swelling of the face or neck that is spreading, a fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or an injury with loss of consciousness: call 112 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department. A dentist can treat the tooth later; the airway comes first.

Toothache

Most conference toothaches are an inflamed nerve or a cracked filling that long days, coffee and clenching have pushed over the edge. Rinse with lukewarm salt water, avoid very hot, cold or sweet food on that side, and take the painkiller you normally tolerate as directed on the packet. Do not place aspirin on the gum; it burns the tissue. Pain that wakes you at night or does not settle usually means the tooth needs treatment, not just time, so book the same day.

Knocked-out or loosened tooth

For an adult tooth knocked completely out: hold it by the crown, never the root, rinse it briefly in milk or saline if it is dirty, and either place it gently back in the socket or keep it in milk or in your cheek. The sooner a dentist sees it the better the chances; typically the first hour matters most. A loosened or displaced tooth should be left alone and seen the same day.

Chipped or broken tooth, veneer or crown

Keep the piece if you have it. Sharp edges can be covered with sugar-free chewing gum or orthodontic wax from a pharmacy until you are seen. A chipped front tooth can usually be rebuilt with composite in one visit; a broken crown or veneer can often be re-cemented or remade in our own laboratory, so you are not sent home with a gap.

Lost filling or crown

Not painful at first, but the exposed tooth is sensitive and fragile. Keep the crown, avoid chewing on that side and book within a day or two; a temporary pharmacy cement can hold a crown for a short time but is not a repair.

Bleeding, swelling or infection

Bleeding after an extraction: bite firmly on clean gauze for 20 minutes, sit upright and do not rinse for the first day. A localised swelling at the gum, a bad taste or a "pimple" on the gum usually means an abscess; it needs drainage and treatment of the cause, and antibiotics alone are not a fix. If the swelling spreads or you feel unwell, see the first section.

What happens at Tantalya

Message us on WhatsApp with what hurts and where you are staying; we answer in your language and usually offer a slot the same day, with a car from your hotel or the Expo area to the clinic in Konyaaltı if you want it. The visit starts with an examination and digital X-rays, then the dentist explains the options. Emergency visits aim to stop the pain and stabilise the tooth so you can finish the conference; if more work is needed you leave with a written plan and your X-rays, to complete here before you fly or with your dentist at home.

Every treatment comes with an itemised invoice in English and the clinic's Ministry of Health health-tourism authorisation number, which most travel and employer insurance policies accept. Travel medical insurance is in any case a condition of the COP31 visa, so check your policy's dental cover before you travel.