A severe toothache or broken tooth can strike without warning. Knowing where to turn can mean the difference between saving or losing a permanent tooth.
Hospital ER vs. Emergency Dentist: Where to Go?
Go to the nearest Hospital Emergency Room (ER) if you experience:
- Rapid facial swelling extending toward your throat or eye
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing due to oral infection
- Uncontrollable bleeding following facial trauma
- Severe jaw fracture or suspected dislocation
For all other dental emergencies (chipped tooth, severe toothache, lost filling or crown, knocked-out tooth), see an emergency dentist. Hospital ERs in Canada rarely have dentists on staff and can only prescribe antibiotics or painkillers without treating the root cause.
Immediate First Aid for a Knocked-Out Tooth
- Pick up the tooth by the biting edge (crown), never touch the root.
- If dirty, gently rinse with cold milk or saline for 5 seconds. Do not scrub.
- If possible, gently re-insert the tooth into the socket and bite down gently on a clean tissue.
- If reinsertion is impossible, keep the tooth moist in a glass of cold milk or saliva.
- See an emergency dentist within 60 minutes for the highest re-implantation success.