Emergency Dentistry
The front desk, fourth floor
Call today. We'll make room today.
A dental emergency is not something to manage over a weekend with painkillers. Most urgent problems get worse and more expensive the longer they wait, and several of them are time-critical in hours rather than days.
We're on the fourth floor at 260 Stockton Street in Union Square, which is walkable from most downtown offices. Call — don't book online — if you need to be seen today.
In pain now?
Call first. We answer.
The fastest way to be seen today is to call the practice — we triage on the phone and make room the same day where the situation calls for it. If you can't call right now, send the form and the front desk will call you back.
or call (415) 392-5025What to do first
A knocked-out tooth — act within the hour
Pick it up by the crown, never the root. If it's dirty, rinse briefly with milk or saline, not water, and don't scrub it. Put it back in the socket if you can; if not, keep it in milk and come straight in.
A broken or chipped tooth
Rinse with warm water and keep any fragment. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek helps with swelling. Avoid chewing on that side until we've seen it.
Swelling or fever with tooth pain
That suggests infection, and it's the one to treat as genuinely urgent. Facial swelling that is spreading, or any difficulty breathing or swallowing, is an emergency-room problem, not a dental-office one.
What counts
When to call us
These are the situations worth a same-day call rather than a routine appointment:
- 01Severe or persistent toothache that painkillers aren't touching
- 02A cracked, chipped or broken tooth
- 03A tooth knocked completely out
- 04A lost filling, or a crown that has come off
- 05Swelling of the gum or face, or a bad taste suggesting an abscess
- 06A tooth that has become loose without an obvious injury
- 07Bleeding that doesn't stop, or an injury to the lips, tongue or cheek
On the day
What we can do the same day
The first goal is to get you out of pain and stabilise the tooth. That might be a temporary restoration, re-cementing a crown, draining an infection, or starting root canal treatment to save a tooth with an infected nerve.
Definitive work often follows at a second visit once the urgency has passed — you'll get the written plan for that before anything is committed to.
Talk it through
Not sure which option applies to you?
In pain now?
Call first. We answer.
The fastest way to be seen today is to call the practice — we triage on the phone and make room the same day where the situation calls for it. If you can't call right now, send the form and the front desk will call you back.
Questions
Common questions
Can I be seen the same day for a dental emergency?
Usually, yes. Call the practice rather than booking online so we can triage how urgent it is and fit you in.
What should I do with a knocked-out tooth?
Handle it by the crown, never the root. If it's dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline — not water — and don't scrub it. Re-insert it into the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and get to us as fast as possible. The first hour matters most.
Is a toothache with facial swelling an emergency?
Yes. Swelling suggests infection, which can spread. Call us the same day. If the swelling is spreading quickly, or you have difficulty breathing or swallowing, go to an emergency room rather than a dental office.
My crown came off. Is that urgent?
It's urgent enough to call. The exposed tooth underneath is vulnerable and often sensitive. Keep the crown — it can frequently be re-cemented rather than remade.
Do you take insurance for emergency treatment?
Yes. We accept all major PPO plans and are in-network with Delta Dental. We'll verify your benefits and give you the cost picture before treatment wherever the situation allows.
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