Curious how folks handle dental emergencies. Like, if you chip a tooth or wake up with major pain, do you hit the ER, try urgent care, or just call your regular dentist? I always panic and end up googling for hours... What’s your go-to move?
I always panic and end up googling for hours... What’s your go-to move?
Last year I woke up with the worst toothache—like, couldn’t even think straight. I remember staring at my braces in the mirror, trying to figure out if a bracket was causing it or what. Ended up calling my orthodontist first, since I figured they’d know if it was braces-related. They squeezed me in that afternoon. Honestly, never even thought about the ER unless there’s blood or swelling that’s scary-bad. The panic-googling is real though... been there more times than I’d like to admit.
The panic-googling is real though... been there more times than I’d like to admit.
Seriously, I’ve fallen into the WebMD rabbit hole so many times—convinced myself a chipped veneer was a sign of impending doom. If it’s not bleeding or swelling like a balloon, I usually just text my dentist’s office and hope they can fit me in. The ER feels way too dramatic unless something’s actually falling out of my mouth. But yeah, those late-night “should I be worried?” searches are a whole mood.
The ER feels way too dramatic unless something’s actually falling out of my mouth.
I couldn’t agree more—unless you’re in serious pain or there’s swelling that won’t quit, the ER is usually overkill. I’ve had a few late-night scares over the years (cracked a crown once on a popcorn kernel, no pain but lots of panic). My dentist’s voicemail has heard it all. Sometimes I think the hardest part is convincing myself it can wait until morning. Those “what ifs” really get in your head after midnight, don’t they?
That late-night “what if” spiral is real. I’ve done the same—lying there, poking at my tooth, debating if it’s worth waking someone up. In my experience, unless you’re bleeding a lot, have swelling that’s making it hard to breathe or swallow, or the pain is just unbearable, calling your dentist first thing in the morning usually works out. The ER can’t really fix dental stuff anyway—they’ll give you pain meds and maybe antibiotics, but you still need to see a dentist after.
I cracked a molar once on a tortilla chip (not even a hard one!) and panicked, but ended up just leaving a message for my dentist and waiting it out. It’s always tempting to rush somewhere, but half the time it’s more anxiety than real danger. That said, if you ever have facial swelling or fever with the pain, that’s when I’d skip the wait and get checked out right away.
