If you have bad tooth pain, swelling, a broken tooth, or a crown that came off, call a dentist. That is the simple answer.
You do not have to panic. But you should not ignore it either.
Tooth pain usually means something has changed. Sometimes it is a small issue. Sometimes it is a bigger one. From home, it is hard to know which one.
I see this all the time. A patient says, "It was bothering me a little last week, but I thought it would settle down." Then it starts throbbing. Or it wakes them up at night. That is usually when they call.
When Tooth Pain Is an Emergency
Not every sore tooth is an emergency. Some teeth are sensitive to cold. Some gums get sore. Sometimes you bite down wrong and the tooth aches for a day.
But there are signs I do not like to see people wait on.
Call us if you have:
- Pain that is getting worse
- Pain that wakes you up at night
- Swelling in your gums or face
- A broken tooth
- A knocked-out tooth
- Bleeding that will not stop
- A crown or filling that came out and left the tooth hurting
Night pain gets my attention. If a tooth wakes you up, that often means the nerve inside is irritated or infected. Not always. But often enough that I want to check it.
Tooth pain can come from a deep cavity, an infection, a crack, gum swelling, or food stuck deep between the teeth. Most people are guessing from home — which is normal. You can tell me what it feels like, but I still need to look before I can tell you what is really going on.
What to Do Before Your Visit
If you are hurting, call the office and tell us what happened — where it hurts, when it started, and what makes it worse. Hot drinks, cold water, chewing, lying down. That information matters.
You can rinse with warm salt water. You can put a cold pack on the outside of your face if there is swelling. Do not put aspirin on the gum or tooth — it can burn the tissue.
If a tooth breaks, save the piece if you can. If a crown comes off, put it in a small bag and bring it with you. Try not to chew on that side.
If you have trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, or swelling that is spreading fast, do not wait for a dental appointment. Go get urgent medical care. That can be serious.
Broken Tooth or Lost Crown
A broken tooth may not hurt right away. That does not mean it is fine.
A rough edge can cut your tongue or cheek. A crack can spread. A deep break can let bacteria get inside the tooth.
Cracked teeth are common. Many start small. Then one day the patient bites on ice, popcorn, or hard bread, and part of the tooth breaks.
If a crown comes off, the tooth under it may be weak or sore. Do not chew on that side if you can help it. Bring the crown with you. Sometimes we can put it back on. Sometimes we cannot. If there is decay under the crown or the tooth has broken, we may need a different plan. I would rather tell you that directly.
Swelling Is a Sign to Take Seriously
Swelling can mean infection. It might be a bump on the gum, puffiness in the face, or a bad taste near one tooth. I do not like to gamble with swelling.
If your face is swollen, your gum has a bump, or you have fever with tooth pain, call right away.
Some patients take leftover antibiotics before they call. I understand why — they want relief. But antibiotics may only calm things down temporarily. They do not fix the tooth. Teeth do not heal like skin. If the inside of the tooth is infected, we have to deal with the source of the problem.
Ready to schedule your visit?
Emergency Dental Care in Mobile, AL
A lot of dental problems flare up at bad times — Friday afternoon, right before a trip, in the middle of a busy week. When you call Rabbit Creek Dental, we will ask some questions to understand how urgent the situation sounds.
A chipped tooth with no pain is one thing. Swelling with fever is another. A lost crown on a back tooth is different from a knocked-out front tooth.
Most people just want to know: can this wait? That is a fair question. If you are not sure, call and ask.
You can learn more about how we handle emergencies on our emergency dentistry page.
How We Think About Emergency Visits
An emergency visit is about finding the problem and helping you feel better.
Sometimes the answer is a filling. Sometimes it is a crown. Sometimes we talk about a root canal, an extraction, medicine, or another plan.
I like to show patients what I see when I can — an X-ray, a photo, the tooth itself — and then explain what I think is happening. If it were my tooth, I would want someone to be clear with me. Not scare me. Not sell me. Just tell me the truth.
Please Do Not Try to Tough It Out
Waiting usually makes the problem harder to treat.
I have seen people chew on one side for weeks, take medicine, avoid cold drinks, and sleep sitting up hoping things settle down. Sometimes they do for a while. Then they come back worse.
Calling does not mean you are signing up for a big procedure. It means we can ask the right questions and decide what should happen next. No lecture. We just start where we are.
Frequently Asked Questions
If the pain is strong, getting worse, waking you up, or comes with swelling, you should call a dentist soon. Pain is a warning sign. It does not always mean something major, but it should be checked.
Save the broken piece if you can. Do not chew on that side. Call us and tell us what happened. If the edge is sharp, be careful with your tongue and cheek until we can see you.
Yes, it can be. Swelling may mean infection. If swelling is spreading, or you have trouble breathing or swallowing, seek urgent medical care right away.
It is better to call. A tooth without its crown can be weak, sore, or easy to damage. Bring the crown with you if you still have it.
No. People wait for all kinds of reasons — work, fear, money, family, bad past experiences. We are going to look at the tooth and help you move forward.
Dr. Joseph Gegzna, DMD is the founder and lead dentist at Rabbit Creek Dental in Mobile, Alabama. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and has been a licensed dentist in Alabama since 2014, with more than 12 years of experience in general, restorative, and implant dentistry. After several years practicing as an associate, he founded Rabbit Creek Dental in 2022 to build the kind of patient-first practice he believed in. He has completed advanced implant training through a 92-hour Implant Pathway program with live patient surgery and additional surgical training in impacted third molar extractions through the Koerner Center for Surgical Instruction. He is a member of the American Dental Association and is currently in his third year of the Bulletproof Dental Mastermind program, a continuing education group focused on delivering an exceptional patient experience. Before dentistry, Dr. Gegzna was a licensed pilot, bringing a calm, detail-oriented approach to patient care. Rabbit Creek Dental serves families throughout Mobile.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For personalized guidance about your dental health, please contact our office at (251) 308-0584.