Dental Emergencies at Dr. Elston Wong Dentistry

We take dental emergencies seriously!

If you have a dental emergency, please call our office at 705.721.1143. For after-hours emergencies, please call 705.733.0880 (this is Dr. Wong’s voice-only cell, it is NOT a 24h response line). Please leave a voice message (not text) if it is not answered immediately.

If you are having problems breathing or if there is heavy bleeding, please proceed directly to your nearest emergency department or call 911.

What counts as a dental emergency?

Acute, severe and unremitting pain which could be coming from anywhere in the mouth, not only from teeth.

Trauma resulting in painful fracture or loosening of any oral structures - broken teeth, teeth that have come out of the mouth, displaced gums, or other injured oral tissues.

Swellings that are not draining - these are likely infections that should be dealt with promptly, or may be tumours that need to be identified.

Bleeding that cannot be controlled with normal pressure, or closing of the airway that leads to compromised breathing.

Painful limited movement of the jaw joint, causing sudden limited opening. This can affect one or both sides.

What kind of pain are you having?

Acute Pain

Our goal is to have emergencies seen promptly. Please have this information ready:

When did the problem start?
Where is the problem/pain in your mouth?
Does it feel like a tooth, gum, or jaw problem?
If it is pain, when does it happen, and how long does it last?
What makes it better or worse? What have you tried?
Is there any associated sign such as swelling, drainage, foul taste?

Chronic, Dull Pain

Pain is still pain, and is often a sign of something that is not right. Chronic pain can be caused by many problems, including gum disease, an incompletely fractured tooth, sinus pain, chronic inflammation, jaw problems involving the muscles or joints.

Please have this information ready:

When did the problem start?
Where is the problem/pain in your mouth?
How has it changed since you first noticed it?
What have you tried?
What makes it better or worse?
How has it affected your chewing/speaking/jaw movement?
Is there any associated sign such as swelling, drainage, or foul taste?

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Emergency FAQs

How soon can I be seen for an emergency?

This depends on the time and date of your call. If we are open and working in the office, we will do our best to triage emergencies so they can be seen as promptly as feasible. If your emergency is outside of work hours, it will depend on Dr. Wong’s proximity to the office. If we are off on holidays, we will typically have another Barrie dental office help us manage emergencies.

Will I have treatment on the same day as my emergency appointment?

If your emergency can be managed with the time, equipment, supplies, and personnel required, we will absolutely try to provide same-day treatment. However, with emergencies requiring lengthy appointments, we will reappoint you at the earliest feasible time (sometimes moving other people out of our schedule).

How do I contact your office for an emergency?

Please call the office at 705.721.1143. If this is after hours, please contact 705.733.0880 (Dr. Wong’s voice-only cell; IT DOES NOT ACCEPT TEXT MESSAGES). If we are on holidays, please listen to the voice mail recording and call the emergency number indicated.