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When a tooth can't wait

Call us about severe tooth pain, swelling, or a tooth that's broken or knocked out. If you are in pain or have an emergency, we make every attempt to see you the same day.

Trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading toward your eye or neck, or a serious injury to the face? Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Call (270) 904-4404 Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have:

  • trouble breathing or swallowing
  • swelling that is spreading toward your eye or down your neck
  • a high fever with facial swelling, or you feel very unwell
  • a serious injury to your face, jaw or head, or bleeding that will not stop

Do not wait to reach us first.

During office hours, call us right away

Call us at (270) 904-4404, Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. Tell us you're in pain, what you're feeling and when it started.

Because we make room for patients with emergencies, the day's schedule can run behind, and your appointment may start a little late. We do our best to keep to the schedule, and we thank you for your patience.

The red-brick office at 901 Wilkinson Trace, with white columns over the entrance and a parking lot in front

If it happens while we're closed

Whether or not you've been to our office, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling that is spreading toward your eye or down your neck, a high fever with facial swelling, or a serious injury to your face, jaw or head.

If we've already seen you

  • Call us as soon as we open at 7:30 am and tell us you're in pain. We make every attempt to see you that day.
  • Look over the written instructions we gave you after treatment. Some tenderness for a few days is normal.
  • Visible swelling, a reaction to a medicine or a bite that feels uneven are all reasons to call us first thing when we open.

Caring for your tooth after treatment

If you're new to our office

  • Call your own dentist, who knows your dental history.
  • Or call us as soon as we open at 7:30 am and tell us you're in pain. We make every attempt to see patients in pain the same day.

What your tooth pain can mean

Ease the pain and swelling until you're seen

  • Take an over-the-counter pain reliever as the label directs. Don't take more than it says, or take it for longer.
  • Don't put aspirin on the tooth or gum. It can burn the gum.
  • Rinse your mouth with warm water to keep the area clean.
  • For swelling, hold a cold compress against the outside of your cheek.
  • Eat soft foods and try not to chew on the sore tooth.
  • If the swelling spreads, or you have trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Our waiting room: patterned armchairs, two table lamps and framed abstract art on warm yellow walls

If a tooth breaks or gets knocked out

A broken or cracked tooth

  • Rinse your mouth with warm water, and hold a cold compress to your cheek if it swells.
  • If a piece broke off, keep it and bring it with you. A broken piece can sometimes be reattached.
  • Call us or your dentist as soon as you can.

How a cracked tooth is treated

A knocked-out adult tooth

  1. Pick the tooth up by the crown, the part you chew with, and don't touch the root.
  2. If it's dirty, rinse it gently with water only. Don't scrub it, or clean it with alcohol or peroxide.
  3. If you can, gently put it back in its socket.
  4. If not, keep it moist in a small container of milk, or in your mouth between your cheek and gum. Never let it dry out.
  5. See a dentist right away, within 30 minutes if you can. During office hours, call us. When no dental office is open, go to the nearest emergency room and bring the tooth.
A treatment room with the patient chair, a ceiling-mounted surgical microscope and a window onto flowering shrubs

Getting seen when you're in pain

Can I be seen today?

Call us at (270) 904-4404 and tell us you're in pain. If you are in pain or have an emergency, we make every attempt to see you the same day. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.

What should I do if it happens at night or on a weekend?

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling spreading toward your eye or down your neck, a high fever with facial swelling, or a serious injury to your face, jaw or head. Otherwise, take a pain reliever as the label directs, hold a cold compress to your cheek for swelling, and call us as soon as we open at 7:30 am.

What if I've never been to your office?

Call us as soon as we open and tell us you're in pain. We make every attempt to see patients in pain the same day. You can also call your own dentist, who knows your dental history.

Sources

  1. American Dental Association, MouthHealthy: Dental emergencies
  2. American Association of Endodontists: Knocked-out teeth
  3. American Association of Endodontists: Traumatic dental injuries
  4. MedlinePlus (NIH): Broken or knocked out tooth
  5. MedlinePlus (NIH): Toothaches
  6. MedlinePlus (NIH): Over-the-counter medicines
  7. MedlinePlus (NIH): Ludwig angina, an infection of the floor of the mouth
  8. NHS: Toothache

Call us when it hurts

Call during office hours and tell us what you're feeling. We make every attempt to see patients in pain the same day.

Request an appointment (270) 904-4404

901 Wilkinson Trace, Suite 2, Bowling Green
Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm