Dental emergency
In pain? Call us first.
(519) 555-0142We keep time aside each day for emergencies. If we are closed, use the chat bubble in the corner — it takes your details and flags the message as urgent so it is the first thing our front desk sees when we open.
Call 911 or go to an emergency department if:
- You have trouble breathing or swallowing
- Swelling is spreading toward your eye or down your neck
- You have a fever with facial swelling
- You have had a blow to the head, or bleeding that will not stop
A dental office is not the right place for any of these. Please do not wait for an appointment.
What to do until you are seen
General first-aid guidance only. It is not a diagnosis and it is not a substitute for being examined — every one of these still needs a dentist to look at it.
Knocked-out adult tooth
Call now- Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline — do not scrub it.
- If you can, place it back in the socket and bite gently on a clean cloth. If you cannot, keep it in milk or in your cheek pouch.
- Get to a dentist as fast as possible. Time matters more here than with anything else on this page.
Severe toothache
Call now- Rinse with warm salt water and gently floss to clear anything trapped between the teeth.
- A cold compress against the cheek can help with swelling.
- Take over-the-counter pain relief as directed on the package, unless your doctor has told you otherwise.
- Call us — do not wait it out. Pain that keeps you awake is a reason to be seen.
Facial swelling, fever, or trouble swallowing
Call now- This can be a spreading infection and is treated as an emergency.
- Call us right away during opening hours.
- If you have difficulty breathing or swallowing, or the swelling is spreading toward your eye or neck, go to your nearest emergency department or call 911. Do not wait for a dental appointment.
Broken, chipped or cracked tooth
- Rinse your mouth with warm water and save any pieces you can find.
- Use gauze on any bleeding, and a cold compress on the outside of the cheek.
- Avoid chewing on that side until you are seen.
Lost filling or crown
- Keep the crown if you still have it and bring it with you.
- Dental wax or temporary cement from a pharmacy can protect the tooth in the meantime. Do not use household glue.
- Book an appointment — an exposed tooth is uncomfortable and can get worse quickly.
Bitten lip or tongue, or bleeding that will not stop
- Clean the area gently and apply firm pressure with clean gauze.
- A cold compress reduces swelling.
- If bleeding does not slow after 15 minutes of steady pressure, go to an emergency department.
Not urgent, but it needs looking at?
Send a request and our front desk will get back to you with a time. If it turns out to be urgent when we read it, we will call you instead.
The dentists at Windsor Family Dental are registered with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario as general practitioners, not as specialists. Treatment that calls for a specialist is referred out.