Infection that has collected into a pocket, either around the root's tip or in the gum next door, is a dental abscess, and our dentists treat it the same day at our 4500 South office in Salt Lake City. Dial (385) 480-0270 and we set a same-day time aside for you. Phone first; we don't accept walk-ins.
The $99 emergency exam fee is for patients paying without insurance. It covers a limited, problem-focused emergency exam and the X-ray needed to diagnose the tooth. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Everything from the X-ray to the treatment is done in this office.
Same-day appointments · $99 exam + X-ray · Phones answered 24/7 · In network with four major plans
Signs you need dental abscess treatment today
Swelling is how an abscess announces itself. The gum beside one tooth puffs up, or one cheek looks fuller than the other. There may be a small white or yellow bump on the gum that drains a salty, bad-tasting fluid. The tooth often aches on its own and hurts to bite on.
Draining doesn't mean healing. The pain eases when pus escapes, but the infection is still sitting at the root, and it refills.
A few signs put the emergency room ahead of us: swelling that is spreading toward the eye, under the jaw or into the neck; a mouth that won't open, or difficulty swallowing or breathing; a high fever paired with a swollen face. Intermountain Medical Center is on State Street at 5300 South, about 2 miles south of our office; St. Mark's Hospital is on 1200 East near 3900 South. Hospitals treat spreading infection; they generally don't treat the tooth itself. When they discharge you, the source of the infection is still ours to deal with, so call.
What happens at your same-day visit
To see where the infection is coming from, the dentist takes an X-ray of the area. Most abscesses trace back to a dead nerve, a deep crack, or a pocket of gum disease.
The first job is drainage. Getting the pus out relieves the pressure, and that alone takes much of the pain away. Depending on the case, the dentist drains it through the tooth itself, through a tiny opening made in the gum, or by taking the tooth out. Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed alongside, but they're the support, not the fix.
Then the source gets treated. A tooth whose nerve has died but whose structure is sound is usually kept with an emergency root canal. When the crack runs through the root, or decay has left too little to rebuild, the tooth comes out with an emergency tooth extraction. The dentist explains which applies to you, and the price is on paper before anything starts.
Cost of dental abscess treatment in Salt Lake City
Without insurance, the exam plus X-ray is $99. Treating the abscess is priced separately and quoted in writing once the dentist knows whether the tooth needs a root canal, an extraction or gum treatment. You see that number before you decide.
For the four plans we're in network with, billing for the exam and X-ray goes to the plan. We accept cash, credit cards, CareCredit financing and credit union financing for larger treatments. Details, down to how out-of-network claims work, are on the cost and insurance page, worth a read before you come.
Why patients choose our 4500 South office
Our chairs are open Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Thursday, 8:00 AM to noon, with same-day times kept for emergencies. Calling first means the room is set up by the time you get here. After hours, a live answering service answers, and the first opening on the next office day is yours.
We are in network with Delta Dental Premier, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, SelectHealth and Cigna. Most other dental plans are out of network, and we submit the claim for you. Parking is on site, and CareCredit and credit union financing cover larger treatments.
Dental abscess treatment near you in the Salt Lake Valley
Our office is at 622 E 4500 South Ste 103, Salt Lake City, UT 84107, on 4500 South between State Street and 700 East, near Murray Park. Millcreek patients take 3900 South to 700 East and head south, about 6 to 10 minutes. From Midvale, State Street north to 4500 South and one block east takes 9 to 14 minutes. Holladay patients follow Murray Holladay Road west, where it becomes 4500 South, straight to us.
Frequently asked questions
Can an abscess go away on its own?
Not really. The swelling may go down for a while, especially if the abscess drains, but the infected tissue at the root stays and the abscess returns. Only treating the source, by root canal, extraction or gum treatment, ends it. Call (385) 480-0270 for a same-day appointment rather than waiting it out.
Do I need antibiotics before you treat the tooth?
Not usually. Drainage and treating the tooth are what clear an abscess, and in most cases the dentist does that the day you come in. Antibiotics are added when the infection has spread into the face, and sometimes a short course is needed before a large infected tooth can safely be removed.
Is a tooth abscess an ER problem?
It is when the swelling is heading for your eye or creeping down the neck, or when breathing or swallowing has become hard. For a swollen gum and a painful tooth without those signs, call us. Utah emergency rooms do not pull teeth or do root canals, so the tooth still needs a dentist afterward.
How do I get through tonight?
A gentle warm salt-water rinse helps, and so do drugstore pain relievers taken as the label says. Leave the swollen spot alone; no pressing, no popping. Should the swelling balloon overnight or move toward the eye or neck, skip the wait for morning and head to the emergency room.