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Start with the symptom

Dental problems

Most people arrive knowing what they have, not what it is called. Pick the one that sounds like your situation: each page explains what it usually means, how urgently it needs attention, which treatments address it, and what moves the cost.

Do not wait on these

When to call the same day

Most dental problems can be booked normally. These are the ones where the treatment gets larger the longer they are left.

  • A tooth has just been knocked out. This is the rare dental problem where minutes matter: handle the tooth by the crown rather than the root, keep it moist, and call the nearest office straight away.

    More on missing teeth

  • Swelling in the face, jaw, or under the eye, especially with a fever or a bad taste. Swelling means an infection has moved out of the tooth into the tissue around it, and it does not resolve on its own.

    More on tooth pain

  • A tooth has been knocked completely out. Pick it up by the crown, not the root, keep it moist — in milk, or in your own saliva — and call the nearest office immediately. Time out of the socket is the single biggest factor in whether it can go back.

    More on broken tooth

Call the office nearest you and describe what is happening — the front desk will tell you how soon you can be seen.

If swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, or bleeding will not stop — go to the emergency room or call 911. That is past what a dental office can handle.

Describe it to someone who can look.

An exam turns a symptom into options you can compare. Request an appointment, or call the office closest to you.