Emergency Dentist in Kitchener

If you need an emergency dentist in Kitchener and you live or work on the west side of the city, Highland Kitchener Dentist is at 140 Highland Rd W. We set aside time every day for urgent problems, so a cracked tooth or a toothache that kept you up all night doesn’t have to wait for the next open checkup. Call 519-885-1598 as early in the day as you can and tell us what’s going on.

Is it a dental emergency?

A simple rule: if it hurts enough that you can’t sleep, eat or concentrate, or something has broken, swollen or come loose, call us that day. These are the most common reasons people phone us for an urgent visit:

• A toothache that throbs, wakes you up or doesn’t ease with over the counter pain relief
• Swelling in the gum, cheek or jaw, or a small pimple on the gum that keeps coming back (often a sign of an abscess)
• A tooth knocked out, pushed out of place or suddenly loose after a fall or a hit
• A chipped, cracked or broken tooth, especially one that’s sharp or sensitive to air
• A filling or crown that has fallen out
• Bleeding that won’t settle after an extraction or an injury to the lip, tongue or gums
• A broken braces wire poking your cheek, or a cracked or broken denture

Some things can wait a day or two, like a tiny chip with no pain or mild sensitivity to cold. Not sure? Call and describe it. We’d much rather hear from you early than see an infection after it has spread.

What to do before you get here

A few minutes of the right first aid can change the outcome, particularly with a knocked out tooth.

In pain right now? Call us at 519-885-1598 and tell us what happened. We’ll talk you through what to do on the way in.

Knocked out adult tooth

Pick it up by the crown (the white part you chew with), never by the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or water, but don’t scrub it or wrap it in tissue. If you can, gently push it back into the socket and bite on a clean cloth to hold it in place. If that isn’t possible, drop it into a small container of milk and come straight in. Speed matters more than anything else here, so call us on the way. Don’t try to put a baby tooth back in; just bring your child and the tooth if you found it.

Toothache or swelling

Rinse with warm salt water and floss gently around the sore tooth in case food is trapped. Hold a cold compress on the outside of your cheek, about 15 minutes on and 15 off. Pain relief from the pharmacy can help if it’s safe for you, taken as the label directs. Never hold an aspirin or a crushed tablet against the gum: it burns the tissue and does nothing for the tooth. Skip heating pads on a swollen face, too.

Broken tooth, lost filling or lost crown

Save any pieces and bring them with you. Rinse your mouth and chew on the other side. If a crown came off in one piece, keep it in a clean bag, since it can sometimes be cemented back on. Dental wax or sugar free gum can cover a sharp edge for a day, but please don’t glue a crown back yourself.

Bleeding, braces and dentures

For bleeding after an extraction, bite firmly on folded gauze or a damp tea bag for 20 minutes without peeking. If a braces wire is jabbing your cheek, cover the end with orthodontic wax or a small ball of sugar free gum. Keep every piece of a broken denture and leave the repair to us.

What happens at your emergency visit

When you arrive at our Highland Rd W office, we’ll ask what happened and when, go over your medical history and any medications, and take a look. Most urgent visits need an X-ray so we can see what’s happening below the gum line. Then we explain what we found, what your options are and what the fees will be, before anything is done.

Our first job is getting you comfortable. Depending on the cause, that might mean:

• Freezing the area and cleaning out an infected or inflamed tooth, often the first step of root canal therapy
• Smoothing or rebuilding a broken tooth with a tooth coloured filling
• Recementing a loose crown or placing a temporary one, with a permanent dental crown to follow
• Removing a tooth that can’t be saved, once we’ve talked through the alternatives with you

Sometimes the emergency appointment is the quick fix and the full repair comes later. Then we’ll book the follow up before you leave and tell you what to watch for at home in the meantime.

Insurance, direct billing and CDCP

We bill most dental plans directly, so in most cases you only pay the part your plan doesn’t cover. Some specialist work can be handled differently, and we’ll tell you up front if that applies to you. If you’d like an estimate to send to your insurer first, just ask. For anything your plan doesn’t cover, we accept credit cards and cash. Bring your insurance card or plan details if you have them. If you don’t, we can still see you and sort out the paperwork afterwards.

No insurance? You can still come in. We’ll explain our fees for the treatment we recommend before we start, and if several things need attention we’ll help you decide what has to happen today and what can safely wait.

CDCP patients are welcome. If you’re covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan, our team can go through how your coverage applies to emergency treatment at our Kitchener office. Covered services and program rules can change, so confirm the current details on canada.ca, and see our CDCP page for an overview.

Dental emergencies in children

We see young children, teens, adults and seniors, and many families come to us together, so a child with a sore or broken tooth is something our team handles often. The usual ones are front teeth chipped on a playground or at practice, a baby tooth knocked out early, and toothaches from a cavity that’s been growing quietly for months.

If your child chips a tooth, look for the broken piece and keep it in milk or water, because it can sometimes be bonded back on. A tooth that’s loose, sitting at a new angle, or shows pink or red in the broken surface should be seen right away. Use a cold compress, stay calm and call us.

When to go to the hospital instead

Some problems need a hospital emergency department, not a dental chair. Go to the nearest hospital emergency department in Kitchener or call 911 if there is:

• Swelling spreading toward the eye, down the neck or under the jaw
• Any trouble breathing or swallowing
• Fever with facial swelling, or you feel very unwell
• Bleeding you can’t control with firm pressure
• A jaw injury after a fall, car accident or sports hit, especially if your bite feels wrong or you can’t open your mouth properly
• A head injury, dizziness or any loss of consciousness, even briefly

Once the hospital has handled the urgent part, call us and we’ll take care of the tooth itself.

Getting to our west Kitchener office

You’ll find us at 140 Highland Rd W, Kitchener, on the west side of the city. It’s a short trip for people in Forest Heights, Westmount, Highland Hills, Belmont Village and the streets around Victoria Park, and an easy drive from downtown. Please phone before you head over so we can have a time ready for you.

Emergency dentist FAQ

Can I be seen today?

We keep time open every day for urgent problems, so call as early as you can. For problems that aren’t urgent but that you’d still like looked at quickly, we also offer same day dental appointments. If today is already full, we’ll say so plainly, give you our first opening and tell you how to manage until then.

I have a toothache at night. What should I do?

Use the toothache tips above, keep your head raised when you lie down and call us first thing in the morning. If your face starts to swell, you develop a fever or you have trouble breathing or swallowing, go to the hospital.

Will the tooth have to come out?

Not necessarily. Plenty of broken or infected teeth can be saved with a filling, a crown or root canal treatment. We’ll explain whether the tooth can be kept, what that involves and what removing it would mean, and then you decide.

Can I send a request instead of calling?

Yes, the request form on our contact page works too, and we’ll get back to you. If you’re in a lot of pain, a phone call is faster.

My filling fell out but nothing hurts. Is that still urgent?

It’s not a middle of the night problem, but don’t leave it for months. The exposed tooth is weaker and food gets packed into the hole, so a small repair can turn into a bigger one. Call us within a few days and keep that side clean in the meantime.

Call or book today

Pain, swelling and broken teeth rarely improve on their own. If something feels wrong, call our Kitchener emergency dentist team on Highland Rd W at 519-885-1598, tell us what happened and we’ll find you the earliest time we can. If you can’t talk right now, send an emergency appointment request through our contact page and we’ll reply as soon as we can.

Related treatments

• Root canal therapy
• Dental crowns
• Same day dental appointments
• Composite fillings

Questions or ready to book? Contact our Kitchener office or call 519-885-1598.

In pain or dealing with a broken tooth? Phone 519-885-1598 or send us an emergency appointment request and we’ll do our best to fit you in.

A toothache rarely settles on its own, so it’s worth calling sooner rather than later.