Emergency room or dentist? How to choose
This page sends some people away from us on purpose. Getting it wrong in the other direction is dangerous.
Go to an emergency room or call 911 if:
- Swelling is affecting breathing, swallowing or vision
- Swelling is spreading down the neck, or there is a fever alongside facial swelling
- Bleeding will not stop after twenty minutes of firm, steady pressure
- There has been a blow or fall involving the jaw or face, especially with a suspected fracture
- There is a head injury with confusion, vomiting or loss of consciousness
Why a hospital is not always the right answer
Emergency departments handle pain, infection and airway risk well — but most do not
have a dentist on site, so a knocked-out or broken tooth often ends in antibiotics and advice to see a
dentist anyway.
For a knocked-out tooth, a cracked tooth, a lost crown, or an abscess that is painful but not threatening the airway, a dental practice is usually the faster route to the treatment you actually need.
If you are not sure
Describe it on the phone. If the answer is "that one needs a hospital", you will be told plainly.
Call the emergency line (208) 202-5946Pocock Family Dental · Twin FallsWho publishes this guide, and why it points to one practice.
This site is written and paid for by Pocock Family Dental, a dental practice in Twin Falls. It is not an independent directory, it does not rank or compare other practices, and it earns nothing from referrals elsewhere. Everything here is general information rather than a diagnosis — if you are unsure about your own situation, call and describe it, or contact your own dentist. Landscape imagery is illustrative of the southern Idaho high desert.
This site is written and paid for by Pocock Family Dental, a dental practice in Twin Falls. It is not an independent directory, it does not rank or compare other practices, and it earns nothing from referrals elsewhere. Everything here is general information rather than a diagnosis — if you are unsure about your own situation, call and describe it, or contact your own dentist. Landscape imagery is illustrative of the southern Idaho high desert.