If a tooth is hurting, broken or knocked out, call the Dr. Dental office nearest you and say it’s an emergency. We have 30 offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Jersey, 27 of them open on Saturdays, and we hold time for emergency visits so you can be seen as soon as possible, often the same day. The phone numbers are below. If you’re in pain and want to know what to do before you get here, keep reading.
What counts as a dental emergency
Anything that hurts enough to interrupt your day, anything bleeding that won’t stop, anything swollen, and any tooth that’s loose, broken or gone. Specifically:
- Toothache that’s throbbing, keeps you up, or hurts when you bite
- Swelling in the gum, face or jaw, or a pimple-like bump on the gum
- A cracked, chipped or broken tooth, especially if it’s sharp or sensitive
- A tooth knocked out or pushed out of position
- A lost filling or crown
- Bleeding that doesn’t stop with pressure after 15 minutes
- Pain or swelling after an extraction or other dental work
- A broken denture or a broken wire on braces that’s cutting your cheek
Go to the emergency room instead if you have swelling that’s spreading to your eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a high fever with facial swelling, or a possible broken jaw. Those can become life-threatening, and a hospital can treat them in ways a dental office can’t. Once you’re stable, come to us for the tooth.
What to do right now
Toothache. Rinse with warm salt water, floss gently to clear anything stuck, and take ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed on the package. Don’t put aspirin on the gum; it burns the tissue. A cold pack on the cheek helps with swelling. Call us.
Knocked-out adult tooth. This is the one true race against the clock. Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or water; don’t scrub. Try to put it back in the socket and bite gently on gauze to hold it. If you can’t, keep it in a cup of milk or in your cheek, and get to an office within an hour. Teeth replanted within 30 to 60 minutes have the best chance. A knocked-out baby tooth should not be put back; call us, but it’s not replanted.
Broken or chipped tooth. Rinse your mouth, save any pieces, and put a cold pack on the cheek. If the edge is sharp, a bit of sugar-free gum or dental wax over it protects your tongue until you’re seen.
Lost crown or filling. Keep the crown. You can temporarily put it back with a dab of toothpaste or denture adhesive, but not glue. Avoid chewing on that side. The tooth underneath is sensitive and unprotected, so don’t wait more than a few days.
Swelling or abscess. This is an infection and it won’t resolve on its own. Cold pack, pain reliever, salt water rinse, and call us today. An abscess usually needs antibiotics plus treatment of the tooth, either a root canal or an extraction.
Bleeding. Bite firmly on clean gauze or a damp tea bag for 15 minutes without checking. If it hasn’t slowed after that, call us; if it’s heavy and you can’t control it, go to the ER.
What happens at an emergency visit
The goal of the first visit is to get you out of pain and figure out what’s wrong. The dentist examines the area, takes an x-ray of the tooth, and tells you what’s going on and what the options are, with prices. Many problems are handled the same day: a tooth can be numbed and the nerve treated, a broken tooth smoothed or temporarily filled, a crown re-cemented, an abscess drained and antibiotics prescribed, or a tooth that can’t be saved removed. Work that needs lab time, like a permanent crown or a denture repair that can’t be done in-house, gets started that day and finished at a follow-up.
What an emergency visit costs
If you don’t have insurance, our $25 look-and-see visit covers the emergency exam and x-rays of the problem tooth, and you get a written price for any treatment before it starts. The same offer is on our specials page. Treatment can be split into monthly payments.
If you have insurance, most plans cover emergency exams and x-rays, and we’re in network with Delta Dental, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Altus, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, MetLife, Guardian and most other major plans. MassHealth covers emergency dental care for children and adults at all 15 of our Massachusetts offices, and for adults it’s still covered after the yearly limit is used up. MassHealth Limited members are covered for emergency care too. HUSKY covers emergency visits at all 10 Connecticut offices, and for adults emergency care doesn’t count toward the $1,000 yearly limit. Details on our insurance pages for Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Jersey.
Emergency dentist near you: call the closest office
Massachusetts
- Allston – 127 Harvard Ave – 617-789-4200
- Billerica – 480 Boston Rd – 978-330-3400
- Cambridge – 714 Massachusetts Ave – 617-868-9400
- Chelsea, Bellingham Square – 2 Washington Ave – 617-887-2100
- Chelsea, Broadway – 373 Broadway – 617-887-0600
- East Boston, Maverick Square – 45 Maverick Square – 617-567-3800
- East Boston, Meridian St – 55 Meridian St – 617-567-1300
- Haverhill, Lincoln Ave – 241 Lincoln Ave – 978-469-9200
- Haverhill, Water St – 2 Water St – 978-372-1999
- Jamaica Plain – 315 Centre St – 617-524-5400
- Lowell – 89 Church St – 978-452-3000
- Lynn – 270 Union St – 781-691-3010
- Methuen – 162 Haverhill St – 978-682-6200
- Revere – 339 Squire Rd – 781-286-7510
- Springfield – 1059 Boston Rd – 413-796-4700
Connecticut
- Bridgeport – 594 Pequonnock St – 203-336-4444
- East Haven – 723 Foxon Rd – 203-466-7400
- Enfield – 54 Hazard Ave – 860-745-8800
- Manchester – 240 Spencer St – 860-645-8000
- New Haven – 122 Amity Rd – 203-389-9600
- Norwalk – 360 Connecticut Ave – 203-831-0080
- Stamford – 1990 W Main St – 203-327-1100
- Stratford – 200 East Main St – 203-378-8500
- Vernon – 35 Talcottville Rd – 860-896-9000
- Waterbury – 155 Thomaston Ave – 203-575-9944
New Hampshire
- Manchester – 861 Hanover St – 603-232-2266
New Jersey
- Clifton – 41 Ackerman Ave – 973-531-4444
- Edison – 561 Route 1 South – 732-248-3368
- Hackensack – 500 South River St – 201-641-5240
- Lyndhurst – 542 New York Ave – 201-623-3355
If the office nearest you is closed, call the next closest; hours vary by office, and several of our offices are within a few miles of each other. Outside office hours, you can request an appointment online and the office will follow up when it opens. For swelling that’s spreading, trouble breathing or swallowing, or uncontrolled bleeding, go to the emergency room.
Common questions about emergency dental care
Can I walk in without an appointment?
Call first, even from the parking lot. It lets the office get a room ready and tell you if another office nearby can see you sooner.
Do you see new patients for emergencies?
Yes. You don’t need to be an existing patient. Bring a photo ID and your insurance card if you have one.
How much does an emergency dentist visit cost without insurance?
$25 for the exam and x-rays of the problem tooth at Dr. Dental, with a written price for any treatment before it starts. Larger treatment can be split into monthly payments.
Does MassHealth cover emergency dental?
Yes, for children and adults, at all 15 Dr. Dental offices in Massachusetts. Emergency care is covered for adults even after the yearly dental limit has been reached, and MassHealth Limited covers emergency dental care.
Does HUSKY cover emergency dental?
Yes, at all 10 Dr. Dental offices in Connecticut. For adults, emergency visits don’t count toward HUSKY’s $1,000 yearly limit.
Will you pull the tooth the same day?
If the tooth can’t be saved and you’re ready, an extraction can usually be done at the first visit. If it can be saved, we’ll relieve the pain first and explain the options.
