July 31, 2026 · Dental Emergencies

Dental Emergencies: What to Do and When to Call

By Dr. Jill Kollar, Precision Dental of Windsor

Dental pain has a way of starting at the worst time: at night, on a weekend, or the day before a trip. When it happens, two questions matter. Is anyone in medical danger? And how quickly does the dental problem need attention?

Some problems need a hospital. Some need a dentist immediately. Others can wait for an appointment, but a call to the dental office can help you decide how soon you need to be seen.

Here is how to recognize the difference and what you can do while you arrange care.

Get emergency medical help now

Call 911 for:

Trouble breathing.
Heavy bleeding that cannot be controlled.
Loss of consciousness.

Go to an emergency department promptly for assessment if you have:

Swelling spreading toward the eye, down the neck, or under the tongue.
Trouble swallowing.
Swelling that is getting worse quickly.
Difficulty opening your mouth along with swelling or fever.
A serious injury to the face or jaw, including a jaw you cannot open or close normally.

Facial swelling with a fever needs same-day assessment. If any of the danger signs above are present, go to the emergency department rather than waiting for a dental appointment.

What can the emergency room do?

An emergency department can assess and stabilize a serious dental or facial problem. Depending on what is needed, the team can manage pain, control bleeding, evaluate swelling, order imaging, and start antibiotics at the hospital. A severe or spreading infection may need antibiotics through an IV.

Some abscesses need to be drained. Depending on the location and the services available, the emergency team may arrange drainage with a specialist. For a suspected broken jaw, the team can assess the injury and arrange care with an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or transfer you to a hospital with the right services. Treatment may include repositioning or stabilizing the jaw, and some fractures need surgery.

Not every emergency department has a dentist or oral surgeon available. Even after the immediate problem is treated, you may need to see a dentist or specialist to treat the source of an infection or repair a tooth. Antibiotics can be important when indicated, but they do not replace dental treatment.

A knocked-out permanent tooth needs immediate care

A knocked-out permanent tooth is time-sensitive. Seek an emergency dentist immediately, even at night or on a weekend. The sooner the tooth is replanted, the better its chance of survival. Do not wait for a 30-minute deadline, and still seek care if more time has passed.

Never put a baby tooth back in. Replacing it can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath. Contact a dentist promptly so the child and the injury can be assessed.

For a permanent tooth:

Pick it up by the crown, the part you chew with. Avoid touching the root.
If it is dirty, rinse it briefly and gently with water. Do not scrub it or wrap it in tissue.
If it goes back into the socket easily, gently put it in place and hold it there by biting on clean gauze or cloth. Do not force it.
If you cannot put it back, keep it in milk or a tooth-preservation product. Do not let it dry out or store it in water.
Get to a dentist as quickly as you can, even if you have already put the tooth back.

If you cannot reach a dentist right away, go to an emergency department and keep trying to reach a dentist. Keep the tooth in its socket if it is back in, or in milk while you travel.

Call us the same day

During office hours, call (970) 237-4313 as early as you can for:

Severe or constant tooth pain, or pain that wakes you at night.
A tooth that has moved or broken in an accident.
Swelling of the gum or face without the medical danger signs above.
A pimple-like bump on the gum near a tooth, even if it is not painful.
A lost crown or filling when the tooth hurts.
Pain when biting on one tooth.

Calling early gives us the best chance of helping you find the right care that day. A knocked-out permanent tooth needs immediate attention rather than simply a same-day appointment. Our hours are Monday to Wednesday 9am to 7pm and Thursday 9am to 5pm.

Outside office hours, seek urgent dental advice for a knocked-out or displaced tooth, severe or worsening pain, or swelling. Do not wait for our office to reopen for a knocked-out permanent tooth. If you have the medical danger signs above, seek emergency medical help. Home care can ease symptoms while you arrange treatment, but it cannot determine whether waiting is safe. If you are a patient of this practice, call the office number after hours. When it is clinically appropriate, we can prescribe an antibiotic or pain medicine to get you through until you can be seen.

What may not need emergency treatment

Some dental problems may not need immediate emergency treatment. Examples include:

A small chip that is not painful.
Brief sensitivity to cold that stops when the cold is removed.
Food caught between teeth that comes out with gentle flossing.
An orthodontic wire that mildly irritates your cheek. Orthodontic wax can cover the spot while you contact your orthodontist for advice.

Call us about a new, persistent or recurring problem, even if it seems minor, so we can help you decide when it needs attention. Symptoms can settle without the underlying problem being resolved.

A lost crown, filling or temporary

A loose or lost crown or filling deserves a prompt call, even if it does not hurt. If a temporary crown or filling has come loose, call the office that placed it so the team can advise you and arrange repair or replacement if needed. Keep a crown if you have it and bring it to the appointment. Avoid chewing on that tooth, and do not use household glue to put a crown back.

If pain becomes severe or persistent, sensitivity lingers after hot or cold, swelling appears, or you develop a fever, seek prompt assessment. Trouble breathing or swallowing, heavy uncontrolled bleeding, or a serious facial injury needs immediate emergency care.

First aid at home

Toothache

Rinse with warm water and gently floss around the tooth to remove anything trapped between the teeth. A cold pack against the cheek may help with swelling. An over-the-counter pain medicine can help if it is safe for you. Follow the label and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure. Do not place aspirin or painkiller tablets directly on the gum or tooth; they can burn the tissue.

Most toothaches need dental treatment rather than antibiotics. A clinician may prescribe antibiotics when an infection is spreading, causes fever or other symptoms affecting the body, or for other clinical reasons. They do not replace treatment of the source.

Broken tooth

Rinse with warm water and keep any pieces you find in milk or saliva in a clean container. Bring them with you. Use a cold pack on the cheek if there is swelling, and avoid chewing on that side. Dental wax can protect your tongue or cheek from a sharp edge until you are seen.

Bleeding from the lip, tongue or cheek

For a small cut, press clean gauze or cloth firmly on the area for 10 to 15 minutes without checking. Seek urgent assessment if bleeding continues or the cut is deep or gaping. Heavy, uncontrolled bleeding needs emergency help: call 911.

Something stuck between the teeth

Try floss gently. Do not use a pin or force a sharp object between the teeth. If you cannot remove the object, call us.

What happens at a dental appointment?

We start by finding the cause. That usually means an examination and, when needed, an x-ray. Pain can come from several places: decay, a crack, a problem with an older filling, an infection, or the gum around a tooth.

Once we know what is going on, we will explain what we found, discuss your options and the expected cost, and make a plan with you. The treatment depends on the cause. Sometimes that means repairing a tooth; sometimes it means a referral for treatment the office does not provide.

Two procedures we do not perform in this office are root canals and tooth removal. If your tooth needs one of those, we will tell you at that visit and refer you to a specialist who does that work.

After your visit, our aftercare instructions cover what to expect and how to reach us if something changes.

Preventing the next emergency

Regular exams can identify decay and some other problems before they become painful. Not every emergency can be predicted: injuries happen, and some cracks are difficult to detect.

A properly fitted mouthguard can help protect teeth during sports. Avoid using your teeth to open packages, bottles or anything else that is not food.

If you are not sure whether a problem is an emergency, call and describe it. Sorting that out is part of our job, and we would rather help you decide than have you guess. Let’s talk: (970) 237-4313.

If you do not have a regular dentist, start with our New Patients page.