Yes—Oceana Dental provides emergency dental care! Give us a call if you:
- Are experiencing severe pain and/or swelling in your tooth or jaw.
- Have lost a filling or crown.
- Have knocked out, chipped, or cracked a tooth.
We’re located in Hunt Club on McCarthy Road—you can get directions here—and we have plenty of free parking.
Emergency FAQ
Here’s what you should know if you’re facing a dental emergency.
Can you see me today?
Yes, if you call during regular business hours (see our contact page). If you’re in distress we will examine you and either remedy the situation, or provide some form of temporary relief if your situation is complex.
Can I just walk in or do I have to call first?
We ask that you call first due to COVID-19 restrictions. If someone walks in without calling, and they are clearly suffering, we would find a way to provide treatment while still maintaining safety protocols.
What if I need an emergency dentist and it’s outside of your business hours?
The Ottawa Dental Society coordinates a voluntary dental emergency referral service. An on-call dentist is available to take your emergency from 9 AM to 9 PM, 7 days a week. If you have a dental emergency, please call (613) 680-6543.
When should I go to a hospital emergency room instead of a dentist?
For issues related to your teeth, please contact us. In the following situations you should go to the closest ER:
- Difficulty breathing.
- Broken jaw.
- Severe swelling in the jaw.
- A head or neck injury.
- Severely cut lip or tongue.
What should I do if I’ve had a tooth (or part of a tooth) knocked out?
Save the tooth or the fragments in milk, contact lens saline solution, or in a bit of your saliva to keep it alive and moist (water won’t work). If you can get to a dentist quickly, there is a good chance we can save the tooth.
If you’ve lost an entire tooth, handle it by the crown, not by the root.If the tooth is dirty, wash it briefly (max 10 seconds) under cold running water and
reposition it. Once the tooth is back in place, bite on a handkerchief to hold it in position.
- If this is not possible, place the tooth in a glass of milk or another suitable storage medium (such as contact lens solution) and bring with the patient to the emergency clinic. The tooth can also be transported in the mouth, keeping it inside the lip or cheek if the patient is conscious. (not recommended for children as they may swallow it). Avoid storage in water!
- Seek emergency dental treatment immediately.
What should I do if I’ve lost a filling or a crown?
Simply wash the filling or crown and keep it safe—we may be able to reuse it. You don’t need to keep it moist, unlike a lost tooth.
Don’t eat or drink anything other than water until you can see a dentist, as this may increase the amount of damaging bacteria in the unprotected area of the tooth. If your filling fell out while you were eating, stop eating, rinse your mouth with water, and clean your teeth. Don’t put any pressure on the tooth.
What should I do for a severe toothache?
You can try flossing to see if you have a piece of hard food (like a shell fragment from a nut) caught between your teeth. If that doesn’t relieve the pain, see a dentist.