Should you go to an emergency room or call a dentist?
Go to the emergency department (or call 911) for breathing or swallowing difficulty, rapidly spreading facial or neck swelling, fever with facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, a suspected broken jaw, or head injury with loss of consciousness. For almost everything else, a toothache, a broken or chipped tooth, a lost filling or crown, a knocked-out tooth, a small localized gum swelling, a dentist is the right call, because emergency departments generally relieve pain and treat infection with medication but do not provide definitive dental treatment such as fillings, root canal treatment or extractions.
The decision table
| Problem | Where |
|---|---|
| Trouble breathing or swallowing | 911 / emergency department |
| Swelling spreading to the eye, neck or floor of the mouth | 911 / emergency department |
| Fever with facial swelling | Emergency department |
| Bleeding that will not stop with 30 minutes of pressure | Emergency department |
| Suspected broken jaw; jaw stuck open | Emergency department |
| Head injury with loss of consciousness, confusion or vomiting | 911 / emergency department |
| Knocked-out adult tooth | Dentist within the hour; if none reachable, emergency department (OHF) |
| Toothache, even severe, without swelling | Dentist, same day the office is open |
| Localized gum swelling or pimple | Dentist, same day the office is open |
| Broken or chipped tooth | Dentist promptly |
| Lost filling or crown | Dentist within days |
| Something stuck between teeth | Try floss; dentist if it stays |
The American Dental Association's emergency guidance covers these situations (ADA).
If any of these apply, this is not a dental-office problem first: trouble breathing or swallowing, rapidly spreading swelling of the face or neck, fever with facial swelling, bleeding that will not stop, or a serious injury to the head or jaw. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not use the appointment request form for these.
What an emergency department can do
Assess airway and systemic infection, control bleeding, manage trauma, prescribe medication, and image a jaw. It usually cannot fill, root-treat, re-cement or extract.
What a dentist can do
Diagnose the tooth, drain an abscess, start a root canal, extract, repair, re-cement, and plan the definitive repair.
When the office is closed
Follow the instructions on the office's voicemail or website; this page does not promise any availability. For the emergency signs above, do not wait for an office to open.
Next step: Request a consultation or call (805) 565-5111. A request is not a confirmed appointment; the office confirms times during its listed hours (Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm, plus select Fridays).
ER-or-dentist card
911 or emergency department: breathing or swallowing difficulty; swelling spreading to eye, neck or under the tongue; fever with facial swelling; uncontrolled bleeding; broken jaw; head injury with loss of consciousness.
Dentist, same day the office is open: toothache; localized swelling or gum pimple; knocked-out tooth (within the hour); loose or displaced tooth.
Dentist, promptly: chipped or broken tooth; lost filling or crown; broken appliance.
Guides are general education; an examination is needed for individual advice.
Sources
- MouthHealthy: Dental Emergencies — American Dental Association
- Knocked-out teeth — Oral Health Foundation
- Clinician statement — Loul Dental Studio
Sources were current when this guide was last updated.
Educational content, not a diagnosis. Please contact the studio to discuss your own situation.