The ER stops the bleeding.
It can’t save the tooth.
Both have a role and they are not interchangeable. If there is a serious injury, the ER comes first — but the tooth itself still needs a dentist, and sooner is better.
Call 911 or go straight to an emergency room if there is
- A large cut or a wound that will not stop bleeding
- A suspected broken bone, including a suspected broken jaw
- A head injury, loss of consciousness, or confusion
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Facial swelling that is spreading rapidly
- Any other serious injury from the same accident
An emergency room can treat wounds and stop bleeding. That is the part that cannot wait.
A dentist is what the tooth needs
An emergency room can stop the bleeding, but it will not be able to repair the tooth — and quite possibly will not be able to save it either. That is not a criticism of emergency medicine; it is simply not what an ER is equipped to do.
So once you are home and discharged, call a dentist. We can repair, replace or save a damaged tooth, and provide the specialised care the injury actually calls for.
Do not treat the ER visit as the end of it. This is the single most common mistake, and it is usually the one that costs the tooth.
The window closes.
The longer you wait to seek treatment, the smaller the chance the damage can be repaired at all. A knocked-out tooth is the sharpest example — reimplantation is most successful within 30 to 60 minutes — but the principle holds for cracks, exposed dentin and loose teeth too.
Call the office as soon as you are able. We will treat you as soon as possible, and we would much rather hear from you immediately than see you in a fortnight when the options have narrowed.
When we are closed
We are open Monday, Wednesday to Friday in Wethersfield, and Tuesdays in Enfield, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
If something happens outside those hours and there is no serious injury, an ER or an urgent care can manage pain and rule out anything dangerous — then call us the moment we open and we will get you in.
If a tooth has been knocked out, that cannot wait for us. Keep it moist, in milk or held against the inside of your cheek, never in plain water, and get to an emergency room or an after-hours dental service straight away.
The dental side of an accident.
Dental bonding
Tooth-coloured material shaped and hardened onto a chipped tooth — often finished in one visit.
Dental restorations
Rebuilding what was lost, so the tooth works and looks right again.
Crowns for children
Where a child’s tooth needs more protection than a filling can give.
Cavity treatment
Decay found alongside the injury, dealt with at the same time.
Dental sealants
Protecting the surfaces most likely to be damaged next.
Sedation
If the accident has left someone shaken — children particularly — sedation dentistry is something we will consider when you arrive.
Answered honestly.
My child knocked a tooth out. ER or dentist?
The ER said to follow up with my dentist. Is that urgent?
Can you treat me if I am not already a patient?
It only hurts a bit. Can it wait?
Will my medical insurance cover it?
Call as soon as you can.
Even if you have already been to the ER. Especially if you have already been to the ER — the tooth is the part still waiting to be dealt with.