What to do in a dental emergency

A dental emergency rarely happens at a convenient time. Here is what to do first, what can wait until the morning and how to get seen quickly.

Call 911 or go to the emergency room if

You have swelling that makes it hard to breathe or swallow, heavy bleeding that does not stop with pressure, or a facial injury with other trauma. These come before any dentist.

Call us the same day if

A tooth is knocked out, broken or very loose, you have a toothache that keeps you awake or does not respond to over-the-counter pain relief, you have swelling in the gum or face, or a crown or filling has come off and the tooth hurts. We keep slots every day for same-day visits. Call (310) 555-0142 and say it is an emergency.

What to do in the first hour

Knocked-out adult tooth: hold it by the crown, not the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing and try to place it back in the socket. If that is not possible, keep it in milk or in your cheek and come in right away; the sooner the better. Broken tooth: rinse with warm water, save any pieces and use a cold compress for swelling. Lost crown: keep it and bring it with you. Toothache: rinse with warm salt water, floss gently to remove anything trapped, and take the pain relief you normally use. Do not put aspirin on the gum.

What a same-day visit costs

An emergency visit is $99 and includes the exam and an X-ray of the problem area. We tell you what is wrong, relieve the pain where we can, and quote any further treatment separately before doing it. Dr. Reed handles most emergency care and is known for painless numbing.

Outside opening hours

We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Outside these hours, call and leave your name and phone number, or send your details through the assistant on our website, and the front desk calls you back on the next working morning. If you cannot wait, the emergency room is the right place.

Avoiding the next one

Many emergencies are old problems that were put off: a cracked filling, a deep cavity, a wisdom tooth that has been grumbling for months. Regular exams catch these while they are cheap and painless to fix.