Can You Go to the ER for Tooth Pain? When to Go and What to Do Instead
Updated: 4 hours ago
Yes, you can go to the ER for tooth pain, but most emergency rooms do not have a dentist on staff. The ER can treat pain, swelling and infection, but not the tooth itself.
Go to the ER if swelling affects your breathing or swallowing, or if you have a high fever, a jaw injury or bleeding that will not stop. For most other toothaches, an emergency dentist is faster and can fix the cause. Below, our office explains when each option makes sense and how to manage pain until you are seen.
Quick Answer: ER or Emergency Dentist?
Go to the ER if you have:
Swelling spreading to your eye, neck or the floor of your mouth
Trouble breathing or swallowing
Fever along with facial swelling
A broken jaw or serious facial injury
Bleeding that will not stop with pressure
See an emergency dentist if you have:
A severe toothache
An abscess without breathing or swallowing problems
A broken or cracked tooth
A knocked-out tooth
A lost crown or filling
If you are unsure and the symptoms are severe or getting worse quickly, go to the ER or call 911.
When You Should Go to the ER for Tooth Pain
A dental infection can spread beyond the tooth. When it reaches the face, neck or airway, it needs hospital care. Go to the ER for:
Swelling that spreads to your eye, cheek, neck or under your tongue. This can mean the infection is moving into deeper tissue.
Trouble breathing or swallowing. Swelling near the throat can narrow the airway. Call 911 if breathing is hard.
Fever with facial swelling. This combination suggests the infection is affecting the whole body.
A broken jaw or serious facial injury, such as after a fall, accident or sports hit.
Bleeding that will not stop after 15 minutes of firm pressure.
Pain you cannot control with over-the-counter medicine when no dentist is available.
University of Utah Health advises going to the ER right away for facial or neck swelling with an abscess, especially if it affects breathing.
What the ER Can and Can't Do for a Toothache
What the ER can do:
Assess your symptoms and stabilize you
Prescribe antibiotics for an infection
Give pain relief
Sometimes drain an abscess
Treat jaw injuries and bleeding
Order imaging, such as a CT scan, if infection or injury may be spreading
What the ER usually can't do:
Fill cavities
Do root canals
Place or re-cement crowns
Repair broken teeth
Extract teeth
As Cleveland Clinic notes, the ER does not perform restorative treatments like fillings or crowns. Antibiotics and pain medicine calm symptoms, but the problem in the tooth remains. You will still need to see a dentist after an ER visit.
Will the ER Pull a Tooth?
Usually not. ER doctors focus on infection, pain and stabilizing you. If a tooth needs to come out, they will refer you to a dentist or oral surgeon. An ER physician at University of Utah Health puts it simply: pulling a tooth is not part of what they do. A dentist can also often save the tooth, which is why seeing one soon matters.
When an Emergency Dentist Is the Better Choice
For most toothaches and dental injuries, an emergency dentist can treat the cause, often in the same visit. A dentist can:
Find the source of the pain with an exam and X-rays
Treat an abscess and relieve the pressure
Start a root canal to remove infected tissue inside the tooth
Repair a broken tooth or splint a loose or knocked-out one
Re-cement a crown or replace a lost filling
Some emergencies are time sensitive. According to Cleveland Clinic, a knocked-out tooth has the best chance of being saved when it is put back in its socket within one hour. An ER usually cannot replant a tooth, so a dentist is the faster route.
If you are in Manhattan, contact our office as your emergency dentist on the Upper East Side.
ER vs Urgent Care vs Emergency Dentist
Each option handles a different part of the problem. Here is how they compare.
Option | Best for | What they can do | What they can't do |
ER | Spreading swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, fever, jaw injury, uncontrolled bleeding | Stabilize you, give antibiotics and pain relief, sometimes drain an abscess, treat trauma | Usually can't fix, fill or pull teeth |
Urgent care | Mild infection or pain when no dentist is available | Prescribe antibiotics and pain medicine | Can't treat the tooth itself |
Emergency dentist | Toothaches, abscesses, broken, loose or knocked-out teeth, lost crowns or fillings | Diagnose with X-rays, treat infection, repair, replant or save the tooth | Not equipped for airway emergencies or major facial trauma |
Is My Toothache a Dental Emergency?
A toothache needs same-day care if you notice:
Throbbing pain that does not ease with over-the-counter medicine
Pain that wakes you up at night
Swelling in your gum or face
A pimple-like bump on the gum
A bad taste or pus in your mouth
Fever
Sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the food is gone
Several of these together can point to a tooth abscess, a pocket of infection that will not go away without treatment. Call a dentist the same day.
How to Manage Tooth Pain Until You See a Dentist
If you do not need the ER, these steps can ease tooth pain until your appointment:
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen, exactly as directed on the label.
Use a cold compress on the outside of your cheek for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
Rinse with warm salt water (about half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water).
Floss gently to remove any food trapped near the sore tooth.
Keep your head raised at night with an extra pillow.
Avoid very hot, cold or sweet foods, and chew on the other side.
Two things to avoid:
Do not put aspirin on your gum or tooth. It can burn the gum tissue, as Cleveland Clinic warns.
Do not apply heat to a swollen face. Heat can make swelling worse.
Pain in the upper back teeth is not always dental. A sinus infection can press on the roots of those teeth. Learn more about sinus pain in teeth.
What to Do in Common Dental Emergencies
Knocked-out tooth. Hold it by the crown, not the root. Rinse it gently and try to place it back in the socket. If you cannot, keep it in milk and get to a dentist right away.
Cracked or broken tooth. Rinse your mouth with warm water, use a cold compress for swelling, and save any pieces. Our post on a cracked tooth explains the next steps.
Lost crown or filling. Keep the crown and bring it with you. Avoid chewing on that side until you are seen.
Abscess. Call a dentist the same day. If swelling spreads to your face or neck, or you have trouble breathing or swallowing, go to the ER.
Emergency Dental Care on the Upper East Side
Wondering whether you can go to the ER for tooth pain or should call a dentist? For most toothaches, call us first. Dr. Marc Lazare's office on East 61st Street treats dental emergencies for patients across Manhattan. When you call, describe what happened and how you feel, and our team will advise you on the next step. If you have spreading swelling, trouble breathing or swallowing, a high fever or a serious injury, go to the ER right away.
ER for Tooth Pain: FAQs
Can urgent care help with tooth pain?
Urgent care can help with pain and mild infection when no dentist is available. They can prescribe antibiotics and pain medicine, but they cannot treat the tooth itself. You will still need a dentist to fix the cause.
What will the ER give me for tooth pain?
The ER will usually give you pain relief and, if there are signs of infection, antibiotics. In some cases, they may drain an abscess or order imaging. They will then refer you to a dentist for treatment of the tooth.
Can a tooth infection spread to the rest of the body?
Yes. An untreated tooth infection can spread to the jaw, face, neck and, rarely, other parts of the body. Swelling that spreads, fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing are warning signs that need emergency care.
Should I go to the ER for a knocked-out tooth?
Usually, an emergency dentist is the better choice, because the ER typically cannot put a tooth back in. Act fast, since the best chance of saving the tooth is within one hour. Go to the ER instead if there is a serious head, jaw or facial injury.
Can I go to the ER for a broken tooth?
You can, but the ER can only manage pain and bleeding. It cannot repair the tooth. Unless you have a jaw injury or heavy bleeding, an emergency dentist is the faster way to protect the tooth.
Is a toothache at night an emergency?
Not always. If pain is manageable with over-the-counter medicine, call a dentist first thing in the morning. Can you go to the ER for tooth pain at night? Yes, if the pain is uncontrollable or comes with spreading swelling, fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing.
