Emergency Tooth Pain in Levittown, PA? Where to Go and What to Do

If you have tooth pain in Levittown, PA, call White Hill Dental at (215) 607-7200 so the team can get you in for emergency care as soon as possible. If you have spreading facial swelling or trouble breathing or swallowing, go to the nearest emergency room instead, since those symptoms need medical care first.

Tooth pain has a talent for showing up at the worst possible moment: Friday evening, the middle of the night, or the morning of a big day. The good news is that you can usually do something about it quickly. The first step is figuring out how urgent your situation really is.

Sorting Out How Urgent Your Tooth Pain Is

Not all tooth pain is equal. Before you search for an “emergency dentist near me,” take a moment to sort your symptoms using this guide.

Go to the emergency room right away if you have:

• Swelling in your face, jaw, or neck that is spreading
• Swelling that is closing in on your eye
• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• A serious injury to the head or jaw

Call a dentist right away (the same day) if you have:

• Severe or throbbing pain, or pain that keeps you up at night
• A swollen, tender gum or a pimple-like bump on the gum
• A cracked or broken tooth
• A lost filling or crown
• A knocked-out tooth
• Pain when you bite down that keeps getting worse

Book an appointment soon if you have:

• Mild sensitivity to hot or cold that fades within seconds

Most emergency rooms can help with pain and infection, but they aren’t set up to treat the tooth itself. You’ll still need a dentist to fix the underlying problem, so the ER is the right call only when your symptoms are more than dental.

What Might Be Causing the Pain

A few causes account for most emergency toothaches:

• A cracked tooth. You feel a sharp zing when you bite down, and sometimes when you let go.
• Deep decay. A cavity that reaches the nerve can cause lingering pain after hot or cold, or pain that starts on its own at night.
• An abscess. This is an infection at the root of the tooth or in the gum. Signs include swelling, a bad taste, and a bump on the gum.
• A wisdom tooth. Pain at the very back of the jaw can mean a wisdom tooth that can’t come in properly.

One caution: if the pain suddenly stops, don’t assume the problem went away. Sometimes the nerve has died while the infection stays behind, so the pain disappears but the damage continues. When a nerve is infected, root canal treatment is often how we save the tooth.

What to Do Until You’re Seen

While you wait for your appointment, these steps can take the edge off:

• Rinse gently with warm salt water, and floss carefully in case food is stuck.
• Hold a cold compress against your cheek for 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
• Keep your head elevated, including when you lie down.
• Take an over-the-counter pain reliever exactly as the label directs, if it’s safe for you.
• Avoid very hot, cold, or sugary foods, and don’t chew on that side.

Don’t put aspirin directly on the gum, a caution the American Dental Association also stresses, because it can burn the tissue. Don’t apply heat to a swollen area either. If pain starts while the office is closed, use these steps in the meantime, call as soon as the office opens, and head to the ER if you notice any of the warning signs listed earlier.

What an Emergency Visit at White Hill Dental Looks Like

At White Hill Dental, emergency dental care starts with a phone call. Calling first lets us know what’s going on, so we can prepare for you and fit you in as quickly as the schedule allows.

Here’s how the visit usually goes. We start with a conversation about your symptoms and when they began. The dentist examines the area, and digital X-rays help us find the true source of the pain, since the tooth that hurts isn’t always the one causing it. Relieving your pain comes first. Then we explain what’s wrong and what your options are, with costs, before any treatment begins. Some problems can be handled right away, and others, like a root canal or a crown, may need a follow-up visit.

We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid. For larger treatment, financing can spread the cost into monthly payments.

Don’t Wait Out a Toothache

Tooth pain rarely gets better on its own, and the sooner the cause is found, the simpler the fix tends to be. Schedule a consultation or call us at (215) 607-7200, describe what you’re feeling, and we’ll get you in as soon as we can.

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