If you have a dental emergency in Anchorage right now, a knocked-out tooth, a broken tooth, swelling in your face or jaw, or pain that won’t let you sleep, call us at (907) 562-1686 before you read the rest of this. For a knocked-out tooth, the first 30 to 60 minutes decide whether it can be saved. For an abscess, waiting lets the infection spread. Everything else on this page can wait until you’ve made the call.
Here’s what counts as a dental emergency, what to do in the first hour for each one, and what to do if it happens on a Friday night in Anchorage.
Is it an emergency?
| Call us today | Can wait for a regular appointment |
|---|---|
| Tooth knocked out | Small chip with no pain |
| Tooth loose or pushed out of position after a hit | Lost filling with no pain |
| Broken tooth with pain or a sharp edge cutting your tongue | Mild sensitivity to cold |
| Swelling in your face, jaw or gums | Crown that came off but the tooth doesn’t hurt |
| Pain that keeps you up at night or doesn’t respond to over-the-counter medication | Food stuck between teeth |
| Bleeding that won’t stop after 15 minutes of pressure | A sore spot from a denture |
| Pus, a bad taste, or a pimple-like bump on the gum |
If you’re not sure, call. We’d rather tell you it can wait than have you wait on something that can’t.
Go to the emergency room, not the dentist, if:
- Swelling makes it hard to breathe or swallow
- You have a fever with facial swelling
- Your jaw may be broken, or you were knocked unconscious
- Bleeding won’t stop after 20 minutes of firm pressure
An infection that reaches the throat or the eye is a medical emergency. The ER treats that first; we fix the tooth after. The American Dental Association’s emergency guide covers the same first steps if you want a second source.
What to do in the first hour
Knocked-out tooth
- Pick it up by the crown, the part you chew with. Don’t touch the root.
- If it’s dirty, rinse it for a few seconds in milk or saline. Not tap water, and don’t scrub it.
- Put it back in the socket if you can, facing the right way, and bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it.
- If you can’t, keep it in milk or tucked inside your cheek. Not in a dry napkin.
- Call us. A tooth reimplanted within an hour has the best chance of surviving.
Broken or chipped tooth
- Rinse your mouth with warm water.
- Save any pieces in milk; sometimes they can be bonded back.
- Cold compress on the cheek for swelling, 15 minutes on, 15 off.
- If a sharp edge is cutting your tongue or cheek, cover it with sugar-free gum or dental wax from the pharmacy.
- Call us the same day if it hurts. A painless chip can wait a few days.
Abscess or swelling
- Rinse with warm salt water, half a teaspoon in a cup, a few times.
- Don’t press on the swelling or try to drain it.
- Over-the-counter pain relief is fine, but it’s masking an infection that needs treatment, not fixing it.
- Call us today. If the swelling is spreading toward your eye or throat, go to the ER.
Severe toothache
- Floss gently around the tooth. Trapped food causes more toothaches than people expect.
- Rinse with warm salt water.
- Cold compress on the outside of the cheek. No heat; it makes swelling worse.
- Over-the-counter ibuprofen or acetaminophen as directed on the package. Don’t put aspirin on the gum; it burns the tissue.
- Call us. Pain that wakes you up or throbs is usually a nerve or an infection, and it won’t resolve on its own.
Lost crown or filling
- Find the crown and keep it.
- If the tooth is sensitive, a dab of dental cement or temporary filling material from the pharmacy will cover it until your visit. Don’t use household glue.
- Chew on the other side.
- Call us within a few days. The exposed tooth can break or decay if it’s left too long.
Bleeding or pain after an extraction
- Bite firmly on gauze for 30 to 45 minutes without checking it.
- No rinsing, spitting, smoking or straws for the first 24 hours; they pull the clot out.
- Pain that gets worse on day two or three, especially with a bad taste, may be dry socket. Call us; it’s a quick fix in the office.
When to call us about a dental emergency in Anchorage
We’re open Monday through Thursday, 8:40 to 5:00. Call or text (907) 562-1686 and tell us it’s an emergency. We’ll tell you what to do until you’re seen and get you in as quickly as the problem needs.
If you’re driving in from Eagle River, Wasilla or the Valley, call before you leave so we’re ready when you arrive and you’re not sitting in traffic with a tooth in a cup of milk.
A dental emergency in Anchorage after hours or on a weekend
We’re closed Friday through Sunday. If an emergency happens then, call the office number for instructions on after-hours care. For the medical emergencies listed above, breathing or swallowing trouble, fever with swelling or a possible broken jaw, go to the ER at Providence or Alaska Regional, and call us the next business day.
For anything else, the first-hour steps above will get you through until we open. Keep a knocked-out tooth in milk in the fridge; it can survive longer than you’d think.
Frequently asked questions
Do you see emergency patients who aren’t existing patients?
Yes. Call and tell us what’s happening. We treat the emergency first and handle new-patient paperwork after.
What does an emergency visit cost?
It depends on what’s wrong: a smoothed chip costs far less than a root canal. We’ll tell you the cost before treatment starts, and financing is available for larger repairs.
Can a knocked-out tooth be saved?
Often, if it’s reimplanted within about an hour and the root wasn’t damaged. Baby teeth are the exception; they’re not reimplanted, but the child should still be seen.
Will I be in pain during an emergency visit?
No. We numb the area before doing anything, and sedation is available for anxious patients or bigger repairs.
If you’re reading this in the middle of a dental emergency in Anchorage, stop reading and call (907) 562-1686. If you’re reading ahead, save the number and book a checkup; most emergencies we see started as something a routine visit would have caught.