Emergency Dentistry at Chemung Family Dental
Call us first. A lot of what feels like a disaster can be triaged over the phone, and knowing what to do in the first hour genuinely changes the outcome for some injuries. If you are in pain, bleeding, or something has broken, call (607) 734-2045 and we will tell you what to do and when to come in.
- Call and speak to the practice for advice on what to do right now
- Oral surgery available in-house if the tooth cannot be saved
- Sedation available for anxious patients and longer procedures
- Costs explained before treatment, even urgently
- Cherry and CareCredit financing for unplanned expense
4.9 out of 5 from 440+ Google reviews
What counts as a dental emergency
Some things genuinely cannot wait: a knocked-out permanent tooth, facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma to the jaw. Facial swelling in particular is a spreading infection and needs same-day attention, especially if it is affecting your eye, your breathing, or your ability to swallow.
Other things are urgent but not emergencies. A lost filling, a chipped tooth that is not painful, or a crown that has come off should be seen soon, but they will keep for a day or two without harm.
Severe toothache sits in between. Pain that wakes you at night, or that lingers after hot and cold, usually means the nerve is involved and it will not resolve on its own. That needs an appointment rather than another round of painkillers.
If you are unsure which category you are in, call. We would rather answer the phone and tell you it can wait until Tuesday than have you sit on something that could not.
Check your insuranceWhat to do before you get here
Knocked-out permanent tooth
Handle it by the crown, never the root. Rinse gently with milk or saline if dirty, do not scrub. Put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk. Get to us immediately. The first hour matters most.
Facial swelling
Call straight away. If the swelling is affecting your eye, your breathing, or your ability to swallow, go to an emergency room rather than waiting for a dental appointment.
Broken or chipped tooth
Rinse with warm water and keep any fragments. Sometimes they can be bonded back. A cold compress on the outside helps swelling. Avoid chewing on that side.
Lost filling or crown
Keep the crown if you have it. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can hold it for a day or two. Do not use household glue. It makes the tooth unrestorable.
Severe toothache
Over-the-counter pain relief as directed, and a cold compress. Do not hold aspirin against the gum, which burns the tissue. Pain that wakes you at night needs to be seen.
Bleeding after an extraction
Bite firmly on clean gauze for twenty minutes without checking it. If bleeding is still heavy after an hour of steady pressure, call us.
How an emergency visit works
Call (607) 734-2045
Tell us what happened and what you are feeling. We will give you immediate guidance and decide together how urgently you need to be seen.
Getting you in
We keep room in the schedule for urgent problems. How fast depends on what is happening. Swelling and knocked-out teeth take priority over a chipped edge.
Diagnosis
Usually an X-ray and an examination to find the actual source. Pain does not always come from the tooth it seems to, and treating the wrong tooth helps nobody.
Get you comfortable
The first goal is ending the pain or controlling the infection. That might be draining an abscess, starting root canal treatment, or removing the tooth.
Dental insurance coverage
We want getting care to be easy. Call us with your plan details and our team will check your benefits and explain what is covered before treatment starts.
Ask us about your coverageWhy not just wait for it to settle?
Dental pain that comes and goes is not the problem resolving. Nerve tissue that dies stops hurting, and people often read that as improvement when it is the opposite. The infection is now free to spread into the bone around the root.
Untreated infection is the one that turns into an emergency room visit. It is also the reason a tooth that could have been saved with root canal treatment in week one needs extraction by week four.
Read the emergency dentistry FAQsHave questions about emergency dentistry?
If you’re considering emergency dentistry, it’s normal to have questions. Here’s what patients ask Dr. Dunn most often.
What should I do if a permanent tooth is knocked out?
Pick it up by the crown, not the root. If dirty, rinse briefly with milk or saline without scrubbing. Reinsert it into the socket if you can and bite gently on gauze; otherwise keep it in milk. Then get to us immediately. The chance of saving it drops sharply with time.
Should I go to the emergency room instead?
Go to an emergency room for trauma involving the jaw or head, uncontrolled bleeding, or swelling that affects your breathing, swallowing, or vision. For most tooth problems a hospital can only give antibiotics and pain relief. They cannot treat the tooth.
How fast can you see me?
It depends on what is happening and when you call. We hold time for urgent problems and prioritize by severity. Call (607) 734-2045 and we will be straight with you about timing.
What if it happens at night or on a weekend?
Call the practice number for the current instructions. In the meantime, manage pain with over-the-counter relief and a cold compress. If there is facial swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room.
Is a knocked-out baby tooth an emergency?
Do not try to reimplant a baby tooth. It can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. Control any bleeding with gentle pressure and call us so we can check the area.
My tooth hurts but there is no swelling. Is that urgent?
Pain that lingers after hot or cold, or that wakes you at night, usually means the nerve is inflamed or infected. It will not resolve on its own and it tends to worsen. Book promptly even without swelling.
Can I take antibiotics and skip the appointment?
Antibiotics can reduce a spreading infection, but they do not treat the source. The bacteria are inside a tooth that has no blood supply for the drug to reach. Once you stop the course, it comes back. The tooth still needs treatment.
What if I cannot afford treatment right now?
Tell us. We will explain what is genuinely urgent versus what can be staged, give you the cost in writing, and go through Cherry and CareCredit financing. Cost is a reason to call sooner, not later. Problems get more expensive with time.
Will my insurance cover an emergency visit?
Most dental plans cover emergency exams and X-rays, and a portion of the treatment. We verify what we can before treating and give you a written estimate, even when the visit is urgent.
I am not a patient here. Will you still see me?
Yes. Call and tell us what is happening. Bring any recent X-rays if another office has them, though we can take our own.
Why people love Chemung Family Dental
4.9 out of 5 from 440+ Google reviews
The staff is friendly and caring so each visit is easier to deal with no matter what procedure you’re having done!
Everyone is so friendly…and understanding! I have never been a fan of going to the dentist but they all make it so comfortable!
I am a new patient at Chemung Family Dental but I feel like I have been going there for years. They make you feel very welcome.
Other services at Chemung Family Dental
Dental Exams & Cleanings
A gentle checkup and cleaning that catches small problems before they get expensive.
Book onlineFamily Dentistry
One office for every age, from a child's first visit to a grandparent's bridge.
Book onlineTooth-Colored Fillings
Repair a cavity with a filling that matches your tooth instead of announcing itself.
Book onlineSame-Day Crowns
A CEREC crown designed, milled, and fitted in a single appointment. No temporary.
Book onlineTeeth Whitening
Professional whitening supervised by your dentist, not guessed at from a box.
Book onlineGum Disease Treatment
Bleeding gums are treatable. Deep cleaning and maintenance that stops the damage.
Book onlineOral Surgery & Extractions
Surgical extractions handled here by our oral surgeon, not referred across town.
Call (607) 734-2045Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth assessed and removed in the office you already know.
Call (607) 734-2045Sedation & General Anesthesia
For anxious patients and longer surgery, sedation options up to general anesthesia.
Call (607) 734-2045Dental Implants
Replace a missing tooth with a root and crown that work like the real thing.
Call (607) 734-2045Root Canal Treatment
Save an infected tooth and end the pain, usually in one or two visits.
Book onlineFrom the blog
What counts as a dental emergency?
Which problems need same-day care and which can wait a day or two.
Read the articleSame-day appointments in Elmira
How urgent visits work here and how to get seen quickly.
Read the article