Emergency Dentist in Collegedale, TN

Same-Day Emergency Care, Minutes from Collegedale

A toothache during finals week. A chipped tooth from a slip on the SAU campus stairs. A loose filling that came out at McKee. A swollen jaw that started yesterday and got worse overnight. If you live, study, or work in Collegedale and you need an emergency dentist now, you have one nearby. Our Ooltewah - Collegedale office is on Apison Pike, between five and ten minutes from most points in Collegedale.

Call (423) 396-4222. We hold same-day emergency slots Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most patients who call before noon are seen the same day.

Where Are We?

Where We Are: 9325 Apison Pike (Ooltewah - Collegedale Office)

Address: 9325 Apison Pike #119, Ooltewah, TN 37363

Phone: (423) 396-4222

Hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

How to find us from common Collegedale starting points:

From the Southern Adventist University campus, head west on Apison Pike. The drive is roughly 5-7 minutes in normal traffic.
From McKee Foods on King St, head south to Apison Pike, then west.
From Five Forks, take Apison Pike west.
From Standifer Gap or the Collegedale Greenway area, take Apison Pike straight in.
From I-75: take Exit 11 (Ooltewah / Apison Pike) and head east. The office is on Apison Pike on the right.

Our office is in a professional suite. Park in front. The entrance is at street level.

Directions

Google Business Profile Listing

When to Call vs When to Wait

Call right away if:

You have severe or unrelenting tooth pain, or pain that is keeping you from sleeping or eating
A tooth has been knocked out (call as you head this way, time matters)
You see facial swelling, especially with fever or that has spread overnight
A tooth is broken with sharp edges or visible pulp
A crown, filling, or bridge has come loose or fallen out
Bleeding from the mouth has not stopped after 10 minutes of pressure
You took an impact to the mouth or jaw from a fall, sport, or accident

Schedule a regular visit:

A small chip with no pain
Mild sensitivity to cold drinks
A spot in the mirror you noticed last week
A filling that just feels rough

First Aid Until You Reach Us

Knocked-out tooth: Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root. Rinse with milk if you have it (water if not). Try to slip it back into its socket and bite gently on a clean cloth. If you cannot reinsert it, store it in milk or your own saliva and head this way fast. Within an hour, the odds of saving it are good.

Cracked tooth: Rinse with warm water. Cold compress to the outside of your face. Save any tooth pieces.

Severe ache: Warm salt water rinse, gentle floss to clear food, ibuprofen with food. Cold compress on the cheek. Do not place aspirin directly on the gum.

Lost crown: Save the crown. A drop of dental wax or sugar-free gum can hold it temporarily. Avoid chewing on that side.

What Your Visit Will Cover

We start with a quick visual exam and a targeted X-ray of the painful tooth or area. The goal of an emergency visit is to get you out of pain that day. Most cases that means immediate pain control, antibiotics for any infection, and a temporary restoration on a broken tooth. For more involved follow-up like a permanent crown or root canal therapy, we get you stable today and book the rest as a return visit.

You leave with a written plan, a written estimate for any follow-up, and the name of the team member who treated you. If you are an SAU student or new to the area and you are not sure where to go for general care after the emergency, we can pick that up too.

Insurance, Student Coverage, and Payment

We are in-network with most major PPO insurance plans. Existing patients are processed at the normal copay and deductible.

Students at Southern Adventist University often have a student health insurance plan that does not include dental, or a parent's out-of-state plan that may or may not cover an in-network visit here. Bring your insurance card and we will run benefits at check-in. If your plan does not pay for the visit, our $125 New Patient Exam with X-rays or $199 Exam, X-rays, and Healthy Mouth Cleaning offers can apply (the cleaning is included if you do not have periodontal disease).

CareCredit is available for payment plans. We provide a written estimate before any treatment. The urgent piece comes first; longer plans can be staged.

Yes! Schedule My Appointment

About Dr. Peterson and the Team

Dr. David Peterson earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. He has been in private practice for 21 years and has treated approximately 25,000 patients across his career, with a clinical record that includes thousands of restorations, thousands of extractions, hundreds of dental implant restorations, and hundreds of teeth whitening cases.

He commits to 25 hours of continuing education each year and has logged more than 800 hours of CE beyond dental school. BusinessRate named him a Top Dentist in Chattanooga in 2025. He has served as lead dentist on dental missions to Guatemala with HELPS International, joined a mission to Belize while at Loma Linda, and volunteers locally with AMEN clinics and Life Hope Centers.

About 90 to 95 percent of the practice's patients have been with us for five or more years. The retention rate is 90 to 95 percent year over year.

Our Collegedale Dental Services Include:

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is the office from Southern Adventist University?

Roughly 5 to 7 minutes by car in normal traffic. Apison Pike connects directly to the SAU area.

I am an SAU student with out-of-state insurance. Will you take it?

Bring your card and we will run benefits at check-in. We are in-network with most major PPO plans, including many out-of-state plans. If your specific plan is not in-network, the $125 or $199 new patient offers may be the better path. We will run the numbers before you commit to anything.

Can I be seen the same day for an emergency in Collegedale?

Most weekdays, yes. We hold same-day slots. Call (423) 396-4222 as early as you can. If we are full at this office, we will check our Chattanooga office (about 20 minutes west on I-75) for a faster opening.

What if I am a parent calling for a child at SAU?

That is a normal call for us. We will get the student in, work the insurance benefits, and call you back with the plan and the cost before any treatment starts. Most college-age students appreciate having a parent in the loop. We respect that.

Are you affiliated with Southern Adventist University?

No formal affiliation. Dr. Peterson earned his DDS from Loma Linda University, another Adventist institution, which is part of why the SAU community has been a meaningful part of the practice over the years. But there is no contract or sponsorship between the practice and the university.

How much does an emergency visit cost without insurance?

For a new patient without insurance, the exam-and-X-ray portion is $125 under our new patient offer. Treatment costs depend on what we find. We give you a written estimate before any work starts.

What if my emergency happens after hours or on a weekend?

Leave a voicemail at (423) 396-4222. The on-call team checks evening and weekend messages. If you cannot wait, an urgent care or hospital ER can manage pain and infection until our office reopens. Call us first thing the next business day and we will get you in.

Call (423) 396-4222 for Same-Day Care

You do not need to drive far for emergency dental care in Collegedale. Our office is on Apison Pike, minutes from your campus, your office, or your home. Call (423) 396-4222 and we will get you scheduled.