That deep ache behind your last molar is usually a wisdom tooth, and it gets a same-day appointment at our 4500 South office in Salt Lake City. One call to (385) 480-0270 and you're on today's schedule. Crooked, trapped or infected: our dentists work out which, then treat it here. Phone first; walk-ins aren't accepted.
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.
The exam, the X-ray and any treatment all happen in this office.
Same-day appointments · $99 exam + X-ray · Phones answered 24/7 · In network with four major plans
Signs you need wisdom tooth pain relief today
Most wisdom teeth arrive somewhere between 17 and 25, into a jaw that often has no room for them. The tooth pushes against the molar in front, comes in at an angle, or stays partly buried.
The pain that needs a same-day visit usually comes with company. A swollen, tender flap of gum over the back tooth. A foul taste coming from that back corner. A jaw that only opens partway. Pain that spreads to the ear or throat on one side. Together, those usually point to an infected gum around a tooth that's only partly through, a condition called pericoronitis, and it rarely clears up on its own.
A dull ache with no swelling is less urgent but still worth a call, since a tooth pressing on its neighbor can damage both.
The hospital comes first when swelling is closing in on the eye or spreading into the neck, or when swallowing or breathing is a struggle. Intermountain Medical Center is on State Street at 5300 South, about 2 miles south of our office. Hospitals treat spreading infection; they generally don't treat the tooth itself. The wisdom tooth is our part, so call once you're stable.
What happens at your same-day visit
The planning is done on an X-ray that captures the whole tooth, buried part included. It shows the angle of the tooth and how near its roots sit to the nerve running through the lower jaw. From that image the dentist can tell whether the tooth is stuck and whether the pain is from the tooth, the gum or the molar in front of it.
For an infected gum flap, the first step is flushing out under the flap and relieving the swelling. Sometimes that's all the tooth needs for now. For a tooth that is pressing on its neighbor, decayed, or never going to fit, the dentist talks you through an emergency wisdom tooth extraction, often the same day. If decay has reached the molar in front, that tooth may need a filling or an emergency root canal.
Everything is explained before it's done, with the price in writing. An exam doesn't commit you to an extraction.
Cost of wisdom tooth pain relief in Salt Lake City
$99 is the exam-and-X-ray charge for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted in writing after the X-ray; flushing a gum flap and taking out an impacted tooth are not the same job.
On one of the four plans we're in network with, the exam and X-ray charges go to the insurer. We accept cash, credit cards, CareCredit financing and credit union financing for larger treatments. The cost and insurance page runs through the full process, out-of-network claims included.
Why patients choose our 4500 South office
Same-day times are open Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Thursday, 8:00 AM to noon. Call first, and when you arrive the room is ready and a dentist is expecting you. Outside those hours, the call goes to a live answering service, and the first opening on the next office day is kept for you.
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. CareCredit and credit union financing are available for larger treatments.
Wisdom tooth pain relief 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 City Hall. From Sugar House, take 700 East south to 4500 South, about 8 to 12 minutes. Taylorsville patients come east on 4700 South over I-15, where it becomes 4500 South. From Millcreek, 3900 South to 700 East and south is a 6 to 10 minute drive.
Frequently asked questions
Can you see me today for wisdom tooth pain?
Yes, during office hours. Call (385) 480-0270 Monday through Wednesday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM or Thursday 8:00 AM to noon, and we hold a same-day time. After hours the answering service holds the next opening. Please call before driving over, since walk-ins aren't accepted.
Will the tooth have to come out?
Not necessarily. When the tooth is coming in straight, the dentist can treat the infected gum flap and leave the tooth where it is. A tooth angled into its neighbor, stuck under bone, or decayed usually does need removal. The X-ray decides, and the dentist explains the options with written prices.
What can I do for it tonight?
Warm salt-water rinses after meals flush food out from under the gum flap. Drugstore pain relievers, taken as the label says, take the edge off. Chew on the other side. None of that fixes the cause, so keep your appointment.
Why does the pain keep coming back?
Because the gum flap gets infected, settles for a few weeks, then flares again; that cycle is common. If you've had the same back-of-the-jaw pain more than once, have the X-ray taken now rather than waiting for the next round.