Urgent Dental Care
A tooth does not care what your week looks like.
In pain, dealing with a broken tooth, or worried about swelling? Call the office and we will help you sort out how quickly you need to be seen.
Direct answer
Urgent dental care in Johnstown, NY.
Dunlap Family Dentistry provides urgent dental care for adults and families in Johnstown, New York and the surrounding Fulton County communities. Our approach is phone-first: call the office, describe what is happening, and we will help you judge how quickly you should be seen and arrange the next available appointment.
Call (518) 762-4321 during office hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm, and Friday, 8 am to 2 pm. For swelling that affects breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, or a head injury, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
When to call the office right now
Call us rather than requesting online.
- A toothache that is keeping you up or that over-the-counter pain medication is not touching
- A tooth that has been knocked out or pushed out of position
- A tooth that is broken, cracked, or chipped and is causing pain or has exposed nerve
- A dental abscess (a painful, pus-filled bump on the gum)
- A crown, filling, or bridge that has come loose and is sharp or painful
- Bleeding from the mouth that will not stop after 15 minutes of firm pressure
- Swelling in the face, gums, or jaw that is getting worse
- A hard hit to the mouth or jaw
If your call reaches us during office hours, we will help you decide whether to come in today, be seen tomorrow, or go to the emergency room.
When to go to the emergency room instead
Some situations need a hospital first.
Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 for:
- Facial swelling that is spreading to your eye, throat, or neck
- Swelling that is making it hard to breathe or swallow
- A jaw injury where the jaw feels dislocated or will not close
- A dental injury that came with a head injury or loss of consciousness
- Uncontrolled bleeding after direct pressure
Hospital emergency departments manage the medical picture. Once you are stable, we can take over the tooth.
What is not usually urgent
Some situations feel urgent because they are unfamiliar.
- A small chip in a tooth with no pain
- Mild hot or cold sensitivity that is new but tolerable
- A crown that came off cleanly and is not painful
- Food stuck between teeth that flossing has not moved
- A small canker sore
- A cosmetic concern that does not involve pain, mobility, or bleeding
Waiting a day or two for the right appointment is often the better use of your time and money than being squeezed into an emergency slot for a problem that does not require it.
What to do before you get to the office
Practical steps for the most common situations.
Severe toothache
Rinse your mouth with warm water. Floss gently around the tooth to make sure nothing is trapped. Over-the-counter pain medication as directed on the label. Do not put aspirin directly on the gum. Call the office.
Knocked-out permanent tooth
Time matters. Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root. Rinse briefly with milk or saline. Try to place it back in the socket. If it will not go back in, keep it moist in cold milk, saline, or against the inside of your cheek. Call the office immediately.
Broken or cracked tooth
Save any large pieces. Rinse with warm water. Apply firm pressure with gauze for 10 to 15 minutes if bleeding. Cold compress on the outside of the cheek can help with swelling.
Lost crown or filling
Keep the crown if you have it. Do not use household glue. Drugstore dental cement can protect a sensitive tooth for a short time.
Dental abscess
Do not attempt to drain it. Rinse gently with warm salt water. Call the office and let us know how quickly the swelling is changing.
Object stuck between teeth
Try to remove it gently with floss. Do not use a pin or knife tip that could injure the gum.
What happens when you call
We will ask a few questions so we can help you triage.
- What is happening and when did it start?
- Are you in pain right now? On a scale of one to ten, how much?
- Is there swelling, bleeding, or a loose tooth?
- Are you a current patient of the practice?
- How soon can you get to the office if we can see you soon?
Based on your answers, we will either arrange the next available appointment, walk you through steps to take at home while you wait for your visit, or direct you to the emergency room if that is the safer path.
Our approach to urgent care
Calm on purpose.
- We treat urgent visits with focused attention rather than as squeezed-in add-ons.
- We tell you what is happening in plain language before we start any treatment.
- If the situation calls for a specialist, we say so and help you get there.
- We do our best to make the immediate pain manageable at your visit, even when the full repair needs a second appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions.
Can I be seen the same day for a toothache?
Do you offer after-hours emergency dentistry?
How much does an emergency dental visit cost?
Will insurance cover an emergency visit?
What if I broke a tooth but it does not hurt?
Should I go to the ER for a toothache?
Do you treat children in an emergency?
Something not right?
Something hurts, something broke, or something does not feel right.
That is a valid reason to call. If your situation is not urgent, you can also request an appointment online and we will follow up.