Man, I feel this. It’s like, if you break your arm, everyone’s rushing you to the ER, but if you break a tooth, it’s just “eh, call your dentist next week.” I had a cracked molar once and tried to tough it out, but after a night of zero sleep and what felt like someone drilling into my jaw, I caved and hit up urgent care. All they did was hand me antibiotics and tell me to see my dentist anyway. Not super helpful.
Honestly, I wish there was a dental ER too—maybe with some high-tech gadgets and a dentist who actually gets how much tooth pain can mess with your head. Until then, I’m with you: unless it’s full-on swelling or bleeding, I just try to hang in there and hope my dentist can squeeze me in. Why do teeth get treated like they’re just… extra?
Honestly, I wish there was a dental ER too—maybe with some high-tech gadgets and a dentist who actually gets how much tooth pain can mess with your head.
I get what you mean. Tooth pain can be brutal, but most ERs and urgent care spots just aren’t set up for it. They’ll usually give you antibiotics if there’s an infection, but they can’t pull a tooth or do a filling. Have you ever tried calling your dentist’s emergency line? Some offices have after-hours numbers, but I know not everyone does. It’s weird how dental stuff feels like it’s in this separate category, right? Like, why isn’t it considered as urgent as other pain?
It’s wild how tooth pain gets brushed off like it’s not a big deal, when honestly, it can take over your whole day. I’ve had times where I was in so much pain I thought about going to the ER, but all they did was give me painkillers and tell me to call my dentist. One time my dentist’s emergency line actually got me in the next morning, which was a lifesaver. Has anyone ever had luck with urgent care for dental stuff, or is it just antibiotics and “good luck” there too?
It’s wild how tooth pain gets brushed off like it’s not a big deal, when honestly, it can take over your whole day.
Right? Tooth pain is like that annoying neighbor who just won’t leave you alone, except it’s in your face (literally) and you can’t even escape it. I’ve had those nights where I’m googling “can you die from a toothache?” at 3am. Spoiler: probably not, but it sure feels like it.
About urgent care—my experience was pretty meh. I dragged myself in once with a swollen jaw, hoping for some magical fix. All I got was a prescription for antibiotics and a “call your dentist first thing.” Not exactly the hero moment I was hoping for. Honestly, unless you’re dealing with something like your face swelling up to the size of a grapefruit or trouble breathing, urgent care just seems to do the bare minimum.
The ER is even less fun. Sat there for hours with people coughing on me, only to be handed painkillers and told to see my dentist (who, of course, was closed). It’s like the universe wants you to suffer until business hours.
I will say, when my dentist finally squeezed me in for an emergency appointment, I could’ve hugged her. She patched me up and even gave me tips on how to avoid this mess next time (spoiler: flossing... ugh).
Curious if anyone’s ever actually gotten something more helpful than “take these pills and good luck” from urgent care? Or is it always just a waiting game till you can get into the chair? Also, has anyone tried those teledentistry apps for emergencies? Wondering if they’re worth it or just another way to waste time when you’re desperate.
I totally relate to the “can I die from a toothache” 3am Googling... did that last month when my molar started throbbing out of nowhere. Urgent care just handed me antibiotics too, which felt like a band-aid on a bullet wound. I actually tried one of those teledentistry apps (Denteractive, I think?). The dentist was nice but basically said “yep, sounds bad—see someone in person.” Not super helpful, but at least it calmed me down a bit. Guess nothing beats actually getting in the chair, even if the wait is torture.
