Pain and dental emergencies rarely happen at convenient times. Knowing the difference between situations that can reasonably wait for a scheduled appointment and those that need same-day attention – and knowing where to turn – is genuinely useful knowledge that most people don’t have until they need it.
For patients in London, Ontario, this guide explains the common types of dental emergencies, what first-response steps you can take before reaching the dental office, and how to ensure you have access to Longo Dentistry urgent dental care when you need it most.
Recognizing a Dental Emergency
Not all dental pain is an emergency, but some situations require prompt attention regardless of the day or time.
Severe toothache: A toothache that is severe, throbbing, or that wakes you from sleep indicates that something significant is happening – likely an infection that has reached the tooth’s nerve, or an abscess forming in the gum or bone. This isn’t something to manage with pain relievers indefinitely. Dental infections don’t resolve without treatment, and they can spread to surrounding bone, the jaw, and in serious cases, to the neck or airway. Call your dental office the same day.
Knocked-out permanent tooth (avulsion): This is the most time-sensitive dental emergency. The biological window for re-implanting a knocked-out tooth is approximately 30 to 60 minutes. Every minute the tooth is outside the mouth decreases the chance of successful re-implantation.
Immediate steps:
- Handle the tooth by the crown only – never touch the root surface.
- Rinse gently with water if visibly dirty, but do not scrub.
- Re-insert the tooth into the socket if possible, and hold it gently in place.
- If reimplantation isn’t possible, store the tooth in cold milk, saline solution, or saliva (held between cheek and gum).
- Call your dental office immediately and get there as fast as possible.
Cracked or fractured tooth: A crack extending to the pulp causes severe pain, especially when biting or releasing pressure. A tooth that has fractured, losing a piece of the visible structure, needs to be seen promptly. While mild cracks may not produce immediate pain, leaving them unaddressed allows the crack to propagate deeper, eventually reaching the pulp or causing the tooth to split entirely – which changes a manageable restoration into a likely extraction.
Dental abscess: Swelling in the face, jaw, or gum – especially with accompanying fever, difficulty swallowing or breathing, or a bad taste in the mouth – indicates an infection that needs immediate dental attention and possibly antibiotic treatment. Facial swelling from dental infection is never something to monitor at home for more than a day. If the swelling is causing difficulty breathing or swallowing, go directly to an emergency room.
Lost crown or large filling: While not as urgent as the situations above, a crown or filling that falls out leaves the underlying tooth exposed and vulnerable. Temporary dental cement from a pharmacy can protect the tooth until you can be seen. Avoid leaving the tooth unprotected for more than a few days, as exposed dentin is sensitive and the tooth structure can further break down.
Soft tissue injury: Injuries to the lips, cheeks, tongue, or gum tissue that result in significant bleeding should be assessed by a dental or medical professional. Apply gentle pressure with clean gauze or cloth, and seek care if bleeding persists or the injury is deep.
What Is NOT an Emergency (But Still Needs Scheduling)
Some situations are concerning without being true emergencies – they should be seen promptly but don’t require the same day-of response as the scenarios above.
- A mild toothache that comes and goes
- A broken tooth with no pain and no sharp edges
- A lost filling with no pain
- Bleeding gums that occur only during brushing
- Mild sensitivity to temperature
If you’re unsure, call your dental office. Describing the symptoms over the phone allows the team to assess whether same-day care is needed.
Having an Established Dental Relationship Matters Most in Emergencies
Emergency dental situations are resolved faster and more effectively when you’re already a patient at the practice. Your records, X-rays, and history are on file. The team knows your specific anatomy, existing restorations, and health history. You can call and be seen the same day rather than being evaluated as a completely new patient.
If you’re in London without an established dentist, searching for dental care during a painful emergency is genuinely harder than it needs to be. Establishing care before a problem arises – through a comprehensive exam and regular checkups – means you have a direct line to same-day care when you need it.
To find Longo Dentistry and check whether they’re accepting new patients, view them on Google listing for current contact information, office hours, and location details.
How Dental Offices Handle After-Hours Emergencies
Most dental practices have a protocol for patients who experience emergencies outside of regular business hours. This typically involves:
- A voicemail message with instructions and an emergency contact number
- An on-call dentist available by phone who can assess severity and provide guidance
- Priority next-day scheduling for established patients who called the emergency line
When you establish care at a dental practice, ask specifically about their after-hours emergency protocol. Knowing this in advance – rather than reading the voicemail during a midnight toothache – reduces the stress of unexpected situations considerably.
Preventing Dental Emergencies Where Possible
While some emergencies are unavoidable (trauma, sudden infections), others are the downstream result of deferred preventive care. The decay that eventually reached the nerve and caused a dental abscess was, at some earlier point, a small cavity that could have been caught at a routine checkup. The tooth that cracked under biting pressure had probably been flagged as having a large filling that needed monitoring.
Regular preventive visits catch developing problems before they escalate. They’re also the foundation of the dental relationship that makes urgent care accessible when you need it most. For London, Ontario patients, getting ahead of dental problems with consistent care at a trusted practice is the most effective thing you can do to keep dental emergencies rare and manageable when they do occur.