When Should You Visit ER Vs An Emergency Dentist?

by | Jul 25, 2025

The Importance of Addressing Cavities Promptly

What Services Do Emergency Dentists Provide?

Emergency dentist clinics provide dental care for oral injuries, dental pain, infection, and other dental emergencies. Some dental emergencies cause extreme pain, and some can be life-threatening. Understanding the different types of emergencies will help you determine what kind of medical attention you require. Emergency dentistry provides emergency dental care that isn’t immediately life-threatening. Many of our patients require immediate medical treatment that they wouldn’t be able to receive from their primary dentist. We offer walk-in services to ensure each patient receives immediate care and relief. If you’re having severe pain or other dental issues that you believe require emergency treatment, contact Buckeye Immediate Dental or visit during our walk-in clinic hours.

Why Choosing an Emergency Dentist Is Often a Better Option

If you visit an emergency dentist facility, you will receive specialised treatment that focuses directly on your dental needs. The dentists at an emergency dental clinic are trained to provide excellent quality care. An emergency dentist will provide more efficient treatment for your dental emergency. Oftentimes, at an emergency dentist clinic, treatment will be more direct and more immediately reduce discomfort. An emergency dentist facility will also be able to address all of your oral health needs at once. That means while being treated for your dental emergency, we can determine if additional care is needed to prevent further complications. Emergency dental clinics are typically less expensive and offer different affordable treatment plans to ensure you receive the care you need immediately.

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Clear Indicators You Should See an Emergency Dentist

Continuous bleeding, infection, or swelling, continuous pain, broken or chipped teeth, or damaged dental restoration pieces should all be handled quickly. If you’re unsure about whether your issue should be handled by a normal dentist or the dentists at Buckeye Immediate Dental, contact us to get a recommendation.

What If You Can’t Get to An Emergency Dentist?

In circumstances where you have a dental emergency but are unable to get to an emergency dentist, the ER is always an option. At the ER, you will still receive emergency care, though it may not be the same type of care you would receive with an emergency dentist.

In a dental emergency, it is best to seek emergency care rather than wait, regardless of where you’re receiving the treatment. Oral pain and injury can be devastating, debilitating, and even dangerous to your life. Do your best to seek the most appropriate treatment for your emergency, whether that’s an emergency dentist or the ER.

When Should You Go To The ER?

While a standard dental emergency can be handled by an emergency dentist, some will require more extensive medical treatment. Seeking out treatment at an emergency room will be a better solution if you’re experiencing a life-threatening dental emergency. Any oral injuries that cause severe swelling or make breathing difficult should be handled by an emergency room. Uncontrollable bleeding could be very dangerous and is a main indicator for going to the ER.

Traumatic Oral Injuries

Traumatic injuries to the face or mouth that have caused damage should be seen by an ER doctor. Car accidents, major sports injuries, and other traumatic injuries may require more comprehensive medical care than an emergency dental clinic provides. Symptoms that you may have an infection are also very serious and should be handled immediately to avoid an abscessed tooth and a life-threatening spread of infection.

In these circumstances, a patient should seek care at an emergency room to ensure no other medical services are required. Trauma to the face can cause bones to break or other dangerous complications. Any severe oral injuries that cause tissue damage or trauma to the mouth will likely require more extensive care than an emergency dentist provides. If you’re not sure what the best choice is, contact Buckeye Immediate Dental to learn more about your options.

The Downsides of Seeking Treatment at an Emergency Room

Emergency rooms are typically a patient’s first thought when they are facing a dental emergency. In some circumstances, an ER is the most appropriate place to seek treatment; however, many times an emergency dentist clinic can provide better, more affordable care. Many may think ER visits will give them the best form of care, but emergency rooms are not always equipped or staffed to handle certain emergency dental treatments. The ER will likely have a much longer wait, meaning the patient will not receive care or pain management immediately. 

Handling Tooth Pain

Toothaches can be caused by several different dental issues, and are almost always a sign that there is an issue that needs to be addressed by a dentist. Minor tooth pain is considered pain that can be managed with over-the-counter drugs and minor lifestyle changes. This pain management should be considered temporary, and the patient should schedule a plan to see their dentist before the problem continues to get worse. Pain is a warning sign from our bodies that something needs to be addressed within our mouths, and it shouldn’t be ignored.

Severe pain in your mouth requires a different approach. A severe toothache can make focusing, sleeping, and eating difficult, and it can even be temporarily debilitating. This sort of intense pain is typically not manageable in the same way a minor toothache is. While painkillers may reduce the pain slightly it is unmanageable and should be addressed immediately by an emergency dentist.

If a tooth pain is ever paired with a fever or other symptoms that could indicate an infection, it’s vital to seek immediate care. If you can visit an emergency dentist, do so immediately, and if not, seek care at an emergency room. If you have questions regarding a potential infection or other tooth pain, reach out to our clinic.

What Non-Emergency Services Does Buckeye Immediate Dental Offer?

While we provide emergency dental services, we also offer appointment-based care. A patient may receive care for a medical emergency at the ER, like a broken jaw, and then come to Buckeye Immediate Dental for additional dental care. We offer standard exams and X-rays to better understand our patients and their needs. Buckeye Immediate Dental offers teeth extractions, including extractions for wisdom teeth. We provide standard dental fillings as well as tooth repairs, crowns and bridges, and denture services. For patients who suffer from jaw and joint issues, we provide TMJ and night guard services. As an emergency dental service provider, we provide many comprehensive services as a way to serve our patients’ needs fully.

What Are Considered Non-Emergency Dental Issues?

Dental emergencies are sometimes determined by whether or not the patient can temporarily manage their pain. Our most common services are emergency tooth extractions, wisdom tooth extractions, emergency root canals, oral infection treatment, a damaged or knocked-out tooth, unexplained oral pain, oral cuts, damaged gums, abscessed teeth, broken crowns, and more. Non-emergency dental issues are less severe problems like cuts, sores, broken braces, small chips or cracks, and manageable toothaches.

Visit Buckeye Immediate Dental for Your Dental Emergency

Buckeye Immediate Dental is available to provide emergency care when your dentist isn’t available. Our team works with patients to find affordable options and payment plans so they don’t have to wait to receive emergency dentistry. To learn more about what non-emergency services we provide and how Buckeye Immediate Dental can help you, look at our website or contact our clinic today!