Visits
Emergency visits
Some problems can't wait for the next opening. Here is how to tell which kind you have, and what to do first.
The notice below comes first because it is the one that matters most. If it describes your child, call 911 or go to an emergency room before you call us.
- Swelling that spreads to your face, eye or neck, trouble breathing or swallowing, a serious blow to the head, or bleeding that won't stop needs emergency care now. Go to an emergency room or call 911. If a tooth is knocked out or broken, call our office right away.
What to do first
Call 911 or go to an emergency room
For anything in the notice above, and for any life-threatening emergency. Don't call us first.
Call us right away
A knocked-out or broken tooth, a toothache that won't ease or swelling inside the mouth that is growing. We tell you what we can do today.
Call when we open
A loose filling, a tooth that is a little sore, or a question about after-care.
A tooth knocked out
What you do in the first minutes matters, so keep this page handy.
An adult tooth
Hold it by the crown, not the root, and rinse it gently without scrubbing. Put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and call us right away.
A baby tooth
Don't put it back in. Hold a clean cloth on the spot and call us the same day.
A broken tooth
Rinse the mouth, keep any piece in milk and call us right away.
What this office does and doesn't do
Same-day time
We hold time for children in pain when we can. We can't promise a same-day visit, and we tell you what we can do on the phone.
Not a 24-hour facility
This is an office, not an emergency room. When we are closed, go to the nearest emergency room for anything severe.
Fees
An emergency visit has a written estimate too. We give you the fee before treatment when we can, and as soon as we can when we can't.
Call before you come
We tell you whether to come in, go to an emergency room or wait for the next opening. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.