What emergency dental care is and who it suits
Emergency dental care is prompt treatment for problems that cannot wait for a routine appointment. These include severe or throbbing toothache, an infection with swelling, a tooth that has cracked or broken, and a tooth knocked out by a fall or a blow. The first aim is to find the cause and relieve it. The second is to protect the tooth and the tissue around it, so that a lasting treatment can follow.
It suits adults and children with sudden dental pain or injury. Dr. Mohammad Arafat Hasan provides dental emergency care alongside root canal (endodontic) treatment, children's dentistry, and care for older patients and people with special needs. He has 15 years of experience in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Signs that call for an examination — and when it is urgent
Book a prompt visit if you notice any of these:
- Toothache that keeps you awake, throbs, or lasts more than a day or two
- Sharp pain when biting, or lingering pain after something hot or cold
- A chipped, cracked or broken tooth, even if it does not hurt yet
- A loose tooth, or a filling or crown that has come out
- A small swelling or pimple-like bump on the gum, a bad taste or pus
- Bleeding or swollen gums around one tooth
Some situations need the same day:
- A knocked-out adult tooth. The sooner it is seen, ideally within the first hour, the better the chance of saving it.
- A badly broken tooth with a pink or red spot showing in the centre, or with severe pain.
- Facial swelling from a tooth, even when it is mild.
Go to a hospital emergency department or call 911 straight away if you have:
- Swelling that spreads to the eye, cheek, jaw or neck
- Difficulty breathing, swallowing or opening your mouth
- A high fever or you feel very unwell
- Bleeding that will not stop after 15–20 minutes of firm pressure
- A face or jaw injury with a head knock, dizziness or loss of consciousness
These can be signs of a spreading infection or a serious injury. They need hospital care first.
What to do before you reach the clinic
- Toothache: rinse with warm salt water and gently floss to remove trapped food. You can use over-the-counter pain relief as the packet or your pharmacist directs. Do not put a painkiller tablet on the gum, because it can burn the tissue. A cold compress on the outside of the cheek may ease the pain. Avoid applying heat.
- Broken tooth: keep any fragments in a clean container with milk or water. Rinse your mouth gently and use a cold compress if your lip or cheek is swollen. Avoid chewing on that side.
- Knocked-out adult tooth: hold it by the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline, without scrubbing. If you can, push it gently back into its socket and bite on a clean cloth. If not, keep it in milk or in your cheek, then come in at once. Do not put a baby tooth back in. Bring the child in to be checked instead.
- Swelling: keep your head raised. Do not pop the swelling or apply heat. Watch for the hospital warning signs above.
How the steps usually go, from examination to follow-up
- History and examination. The dentist asks where the pain is, when it started and what makes it worse. He also asks about your general health and medicines. Then he examines the tooth, gums and bite.
- X-ray where needed. Dental imaging helps show decay, infection at the root tip or a hidden crack.
- Diagnosis and options. You hear what is causing the problem and what can be done. The cost is set after the examination and explained before any treatment starts.
- Immediate relief. Depending on the cause, this might mean cleaning out decay and placing a temporary filling, or opening and cleaning an infected nerve as the first stage of root canal treatment. It might also mean draining an abscess, smoothing or bonding a broken edge, or splinting a loosened or replanted tooth. Some teeth are too damaged or inflamed to keep, and extraction may be the safer option. The dentist decides whether medicines such as antibiotics are needed. Antibiotics alone do not remove the source of a dental infection.
- Definitive treatment. Later visits may complete a root canal, restore the tooth with a filling or crown, or plan a replacement for a missing tooth.
- Follow-up. Injured or infected teeth are usually reviewed to check that they are settling.
This service at Arafat Dental Clinics in Tabarbour
Arafat Dental Clinics was founded by Dr. Mohammad Arafat Hasan and opened in 2022. For this kind of visit, the clinic offers:
- Treatment of toothache
- Dental infection treatment
- Extraction of an inflamed tooth
- Treatment of dental fractures
- Treatment of tooth sensitivity to cold
The clinic publishes 120 services in total. Its main services include root canal treatment, dental implants, orthodontic braces, veneers and teeth whitening. So if an emergency tooth later needs a root canal, a crown or a replacement, that care can be planned at the same clinic.
Dr. Mohammad Arafat Hasan has a Bachelor of Dental and Oral Surgery from Damascus University. His further training includes:
- An Advanced Implantology Course with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI), 2018
- A Clear Aligners (Invisalign) Certification from Align Technology Academy, 2020
- A Microscope-Assisted Endodontics course with the Jordanian Academy of Dentistry, 2022
He treats tooth decay, toothache, nerve inflammation, dental abscesses, gum bleeding, broken teeth and sensitivity. He speaks Arabic and English. Both he and the clinic are verified on ClinicsJo. He has 3 approved reviews averaging 5 out of 5, and the clinic has 2 approved reviews averaging 5 out of 5. The first consultation with him is free.
Questions to ask the dentist before starting
- What is causing my pain, and what did the X-ray show?
- Can this tooth be saved, and what are the options if it cannot?
- What will you do today, and what will need further visits?
- What will the full treatment cost once the plan is clear?
- Do I need any medicine, and how does it fit with what I already take?
- What symptoms after today mean I should contact you or go to hospital?
- For a child: does this affect the adult tooth underneath?
Aftercare and realistic expectations
Some tenderness after emergency treatment is common for a few days. Follow the dentist's instructions on eating, brushing and pain relief. A temporary filling or a first-stage root canal is not the end of treatment. Completing the later visits helps protect the tooth from breaking or becoming infected again.
After an extraction, avoid rinsing hard, smoking or drinking through a straw for the period you are advised. This lets the blood clot settle. Contact the clinic if the pain worsens after a few days. Go to hospital or call 911 if swelling spreads, you develop a fever, or you have trouble breathing or swallowing.
Outcomes depend on how damaged the tooth is and how quickly it is treated. Your dentist can explain the likely course for your own tooth after examining it.
Booking, getting there and opening hours
Arafat Dental Clinics is at Journalists Roundabout, Al-Tamimi Complex, 1st Floor (دوار الصحفيين، مجمع التميمي ط1), Tabarbour, Amman.
Opening hours are Saturday to Thursday, 10:00–22:00. The clinic is closed on Friday.
When you contact the clinic about an urgent problem, say clearly that it is an emergency. Describe your symptoms, for example swelling, a knocked-out tooth or severe pain, so the team can advise how soon to come. Outside opening hours, or if you have any of the hospital warning signs, go to the nearest emergency department or call 911. Use the contact button on this page to book with this emergency dentist in Tabarbour.