Pain and swelling behind your last molar usually means a wisdom tooth is stuck, infected or both. We find the cause and treat it the same day at our office on Madison Pike in Independence. Call (859) 555-0147 and a 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM slot is held for you, Monday through Thursday. Call first; no walk-ins.
The $89 covers the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth, for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Same-day appointments · $89 exam + X-rays · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
Signs your wisdom tooth pain needs relief today
Most wisdom tooth pain comes from one of two things. The first is a tooth that has only partly come through. A flap of gum sits over the back of it, food packs under the flap, and the gum gets infected. Dentists call it pericoronitis. You'd know it as a swollen, tender gum behind the last molar, a bad taste, pain when you bite down on that side, and sometimes a jaw that won't open fully. It flares, settles, and flares again.
The second is impaction: a wisdom tooth with no room to come in. It may lie sideways against the molar in front, sit under bone, or point toward the cheek. The pressure aches, and the tooth ahead of it can start to decay where the two touch. A wisdom tooth that has come in fully but is too far back to clean can rot like any other tooth, and that gives a toothache that feels much like the one on our toothache relief page.
Swelling that spreads to the neck or face, fever, or trouble swallowing or breathing is a hospital matter before it's a dental one. Hospitals treat spreading infection and injuries; they generally don't treat the tooth itself. Then, once you're back home, the tooth is our job, so give us a ring.
What happens at your same-day visit
X-rays first. They show where the tooth is, which way it points, whether bone covers it, and whether the molar in front is being damaged. Our dentist then checks the gum and looks for food trapped under the flap. Soon you know which problem you have.
When the gum flap is the issue and the tooth itself has room and looks healthy, the treatment can be to clean under the flap, rinse out the infection, and sometimes prescribe antibiotics. The pain settles over a few days. If that infection keeps coming back, or the tooth has no room, the tooth is the problem and removing it ends the cycle. That's covered on our emergency wisdom tooth extraction page, and it can often happen at the same visit once you've seen the written price.
A wisdom tooth that's fully in, lined up and cleanable usually stays. One that's lying sideways, decayed or repeatedly infected usually goes. Either way, you get the finding and the price in writing before anything is done.
Cost of wisdom tooth pain relief in Independence, KY
If you're paying without insurance, $89 is the charge for the exam and the X-rays. Any treatment, from cleaning under the gum to removing the tooth, is priced separately and shown to you in writing first. If you have PPO or traditional dental insurance, we bill your plan for the exam and X-rays. Call with your card handy and we check before you arrive. Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit are available. Our cost and insurance page goes into more detail.
Why patients choose our Independence office
We see emergency patients Monday through Thursday starting at 9:00 AM, until 5:00 PM on Monday and Wednesday and 6:00 PM on Tuesday and Thursday. Same-day slots are held at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. The phone is picked up day and night. After hours it's an answering service that jots down what's wrong and holds your spot in the first opening; for a weekend call that means Monday at 9:00 AM. Parking is on site, and diagnosis and treatment happen in one visit by dentists licensed in Kentucky.
Wisdom tooth pain relief near you in Northern Kentucky
Our office is at 5302 Madison Pike, Independence, KY 41051, on Madison Pike (KY 17 Business) in the center of town, close to the Independence City Building. From Taylor Mill, Taylor Mill Road (KY 16) runs southwest to us, about 6 miles and 12 to 18 minutes. From Fort Wright, take Kyles Lane to Madison Pike (KY 17) and stay on it south the whole way, about 8.5 miles and 14 to 20 minutes. From Edgewood, Dudley Pike or Thomas More Parkway to Madison Pike, then south, about 10 miles and 17 to 25 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sore wisdom tooth always need to be pulled?
No. If the tooth has room, sits upright and can be kept clean, a gum infection around it can be treated by cleaning under the flap and, when needed, antibiotics. Extraction is for a tooth that's impacted, decayed, damaging its neighbor, or getting infected over and over. The X-rays and exam decide which, and we explain the reasoning.
What helps wisdom tooth pain tonight, before my visit?
Rinse gently with warm salt water several times, especially after eating, to flush food from under the gum. Take a drugstore pain reliever by the package directions. A cold pack on the cheek in short stretches helps swelling. Skip the old trick of laying aspirin against the gum, since it burns the tissue. Then call (859) 555-0147 and a slot is held for you.
Can wisdom tooth pain come and go?
Yes, and that pattern is typical of a partly erupted tooth. Food packs under the gum, the gum swells and hurts for a few days, your body knocks the infection back, and it quiets down until the next time. Each flare tends to be a little worse. Seeing us during a quiet spell is easier than during a bad one.