I always wondered about the ER thing too, and honestly, I was panicking so much during my first “my face is twice its normal size” moment that I almost just drove there. My mom (who’s basically a walking WebMD) told me they’d probably just give me antibiotics and tell me to see a dentist ASAP, unless I couldn’t breathe or swallow. Ended up at urgent care instead—felt like less of a drama queen, but still got what I needed.
The one friend I know who actually went to the ER for dental stuff said it was a long wait and they were super clear that they don’t do tooth work, just handle infections or if things are really dangerous. Kinda made me feel better about sticking with urgent care. Still wish dentists would answer their phones on weekends though... nothing like Googling “can you die from tooth pain” at 2am to make you rethink your life choices.
nothing like Googling “can you die from tooth pain” at 2am to make you rethink your life choices.
Been there, done that, and honestly, my search history is a horror show. I totally get the ER vs urgent care panic—my jaw ballooned up once and I was convinced it was about to fall off. Urgent care gave me antibiotics and told me to call my dentist, but yeah, if you can’t breathe or swallow, ER is non-negotiable. Still wild to me that dental emergencies get shuffled around so much. Why do dentists vanish on weekends?
I’m always second-guessing where to go when tooth pain gets bad. Like, if it’s just throbbing but not swollen, is it okay to wait for the dentist? Or is that risky? I had a bad experience where I waited too long and ended up with a face that looked like I lost a boxing match. Urgent care gave me antibiotics, but they didn’t do much besides tell me to call the dentist ASAP. I get nervous about missing something serious, especially when it’s late at night and everything’s closed. Has anyone ever had a dentist actually call them back on a weekend? Or do you just have to risk it with urgent care or the ER?
I’ve wondered the same thing, honestly. Once I had this deep, throbbing toothache that wasn’t swollen, and I kept telling myself I could wait it out. Ended up not sleeping at all and finally called my dentist’s emergency line out of desperation. To my surprise, he actually called back, though it took a few hours. He said as long as there’s no fever, severe swelling, or trouble swallowing, it’s usually safe to wait, but I still felt anxious. Has anyone else had luck with after-hours dental advice, or is it just hit or miss depending on the practice?
He said as long as there’s no fever, severe swelling, or trouble swallowing, it’s usually safe to wait, but I still felt anxious.
That’s basically what my dentist told me too, but I swear the anxiety is half the battle. I’ve had mixed luck—one practice called back right away, another never did. I honestly think it depends on how much your dentist prioritizes after-hours care. But if you’re not sure, I’d always try the dentist first before heading to urgent care or the ER... unless you’re having those serious symptoms.
