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ER or urgent care?

Tooth pain: dentist, urgent care or the ER?

Most toothaches need a dentist, and many dentists keep time open for emergency patients 1. ERs rarely have the equipment or dental staff to fix teeth, so they usually treat pain and infection and send you to a dentist 2. But some tooth and jaw problems are emergencies.

Find urgent care near you Or find the nearest ER. Updated November 15, 2026; every fact links to its source below.
Photo of a person holding a cold compress to their jaw

Go to the ER or call 911 if

  • Swelling under your tongue or jaw with trouble breathing or swallowing: call 911 3
  • A swollen jaw or face with fever, which can mean a spreading infection 4 5
  • Jaw pain with chest pressure, shortness of breath or a cold sweat, which can be a heart attack: call 911 6 7
  • A broken or dislocated jaw, or heavy bleeding after a mouth injury 8

If you’re not sure, go to the ER. Find the nearest ER.

When urgent care can help

We didn’t find a neutral source on what urgent care can do for teeth. Like the ER, it can’t do dental repairs; for a toothache without the signs above, call a dentist first 1. See a provider if a toothache is severe, lasts more than a day or two, or comes with fever, an earache or pain opening your mouth 6.

Find urgent care near you, with hours and phone numbers. Not sure what it costs? See ER vs urgent care cost.

A knocked-out adult tooth

Time matters: try to see a dentist within 30 minutes 9. Hold the tooth by the top, not the root, and put it back in the socket if you can 9. If not, keep it moist in milk or in your mouth next to your cheek, not in water 9 1. If you can’t reach a dentist, go to the nearest ER 10. Don’t try to put back a knocked-out baby tooth 10.

Why the ER isn’t the place for a regular toothache

ERs usually give pain medicine and antibiotics, which leaves the underlying problem in place 2. A dentist can treat the cause, and an untreated abscess can become serious 4.

Common questions

Tooth pain: dentist, urgent care or the ER, answered.

General information, not medical advice or a diagnosis.

Should I go to the ER for tooth pain?
Usually not; see a dentist 1. Go to the ER for facial or jaw swelling with fever, trouble breathing or swallowing, or a jaw injury 3 8.
Can the ER pull a tooth?
Generally not. ERs rarely have dental equipment or staff and usually treat pain and infection, then refer you to a dentist 2.
What should I do if a tooth gets knocked out?
Put it back in the socket or keep it in milk, and see a dentist within 30 minutes 9.

More guides

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Sources

  1. American Dental Association, MouthHealthy: Dental emergencies
  2. Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors: Reducing emergency department use for non-traumatic dental conditions (Jan. 2020; PDF)
  3. MedlinePlus: Ludwig angina (reviewed Jan. 29, 2025)
  4. MedlinePlus: Tooth abscess (reviewed Feb. 5, 2026)
  5. American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Guideline on antibiotic therapy for pediatric dental patients (2014; PDF)
  6. MedlinePlus: Toothaches (reviewed Feb. 5, 2026)
  7. American Heart Association: Warning signs of a heart attack (reviewed Dec. 12, 2024)
  8. MedlinePlus: Broken or dislocated jaw (reviewed Apr. 3, 2025)
  9. American Association of Endodontists: Knocked-out teeth
  10. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org: First aid for a knocked-out permanent tooth (updated Oct. 7, 2026)

Last updated November 15, 2026. General information from the sources above, not medical advice or a diagnosis, and not a substitute for being seen. If you’re not sure whether something is an emergency, go to the ER or call 911.

This is not for emergencies.

For life-threatening symptoms, severe chest pain, trouble breathing, or immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.