Emergency numbers — save these now
Office hours (same-day emergencies): Dentistry @ Manotick — (613) 491-3300
After hours: Ottawa Dental Society Emergency Service — 613-523-4185
Swelling affecting breathing/swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, jaw fracture: ER or 911
Knocked-Out Adult Tooth — 🔴 Minutes Matter
The one true race in dentistry. Handle by the crown only (never the root), rinse briefly under cold water if dirty — no scrubbing — and reinsert into the socket if you can, biting gently on gauze to hold it. Can't reinsert? Cold milk is the storage medium of champions (saline or inside-the-cheek work too; plain water and dry tissues kill root cells). Be in a chair within 30–60 minutes and the tooth often survives. Baby teeth: never reinsert — but do come in.
Severe Toothache — 🟠 Same Day
Throbbing, wake-you-up pain usually means an inflamed or dying nerve. Bridge it with elevation, ibuprofen/acetaminophen as directed, cold compress and salt-water rinses (full nighttime protocol here), then call at opening. The fix is diagnosing the cause — often a root canal that ends the pain the same day.
Abscess or Swelling — 🟠 Same Day / 🔴 Sometimes ER
A gum "pimple," a bad taste, or a swollen face means infection with an address. Localized swelling near a tooth: same-day dental visit — infections don't negotiate, they expand. Swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, fever, or any effect on breathing or swallowing: emergency room, immediately. Antibiotics may start the job but never finish it — the tooth itself needs treatment.
Broken or Cracked Tooth — 🟠/🟡 Depends on Depth
Painless chip: days. Sensitive (yellow dentin showing): 24–48 hours. Painful with pink/red visible: same day — that's the nerve. Save fragments in milk, wax over sharp edges, and see the full broken tooth guide for the severity ladder and repairs.
Lost Crown or Filling — 🟡 Days, Not Weeks
Rarely painful, always urgent-ish: the exposed tooth is soft, sensitive and shifting. Pharmacy temporary cement can hold a crown for a day or two (clean it first, never use household glue). Bring the crown — it can often be re-cemented if you're quick.
Bleeding That Won't Stop — 🟠/🔴
After an extraction: bite firmly on gauze (or a damp tea bag — tannins help) for 20 minutes without peeking; repeat once. Still flowing? Call us. Spontaneous or trauma bleeding that doesn't slow with 20 minutes of firm pressure: ER.
Something Stuck / Object Between Teeth — 🟡
Floss (tie a small knot in it for grip), gently. Never scissors, pins or knives — every dentist has stories. If floss fails, we'll retrieve it painlessly.
Broken Denture — 🟡
Don't glue it (household adhesives are toxic and usually ruin professional repair). Many denture repairs happen same-day; call in the morning.
The Meta-Advice
Two behaviours separate cheap emergencies from expensive ones: calling early (9 a.m. gets today's slot; 4 p.m. gets tomorrow's) and not waiting for pain to justify the call — pain is a late-arriving witness. We keep daily time for emergencies, new patients included, because dental disasters don't check whether you have a file with us first. (613) 491-3300 — or the emergency request form any hour.