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Winnipeg North Dental
A compassionate dentist listening to a patient experiencing sudden tooth pain
It is late. Is this a hospital night?

Emergency Dentistry for Southdale Residents

A dental problem at an awkward hour leaves you deciding alone. This page separates the signs that mean emergency medical care from those that mean phoning our McPhillips Street clinic as soon as you can.

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The late-evening decision

Sorting a Dental Problem When the Day Is Over

Everything looks worse after dark, and that includes a throbbing tooth or a swollen gum. You may be looking at the clock and asking yourself whether this could be serious, or whether it can hold until there is someone to talk to. Southdale residents can use the list on this page to separate those two situations.

When your concern is dental and nothing suggests immediate medical danger, the next step is to phone Winnipeg North Dental on McPhillips Street in Winnipeg as soon as possible. When certain warning signs are present, do not wait for a phone call to a dental office. Dental care can follow once the medical risk has been dealt with.

Explore emergency dentistry
Winnipeg North Dental reception with a white desk, an abstract painting and glass partition
The front desk and glass partition inside our clinic.

Start with breathing

Trouble breathing or swallowing goes straight to 911 or emergency medical care.

Then the swelling

Severe swelling of the face is not something to monitor from the couch.

Then make a note

Jot down your symptoms and their timing, ready for when you phone the clinic.

Two different lists

Which group do your symptoms fall into?

These lists are a general guide and no replacement for an examination. If you are between the two and frightened, choose the safer route.

Call 911 or get medical care

Any one of these signs is enough, and they come before anything dental, whatever the hour may be.

  • Difficulty breathing or swallowing.
  • Severe facial swelling, or bleeding you cannot stop.
  • Loss of consciousness, or a serious injury to the face.

Phone the dental clinic

These can be distressing and still deserve prompt attention, but they are generally for a dentist to assess.

  • Persistent or worsening pain that is keeping you awake.
  • Gum swelling, a bad taste, drainage or a fever with a dental concern.
  • A broken tooth, or lost dental work that leaves it sharp or painful.

A knocked-out adult tooth is the exception on timing, because hours matter. Hold it by the crown, keep it moist in milk or a tooth-preservation solution, and seek care immediately instead of leaving it until morning.

When you do reach someone

What happens once you get through.

A rough night is usually easier if you know what comes next. The path below is typical, though the dentist’s findings and your symptoms may change it.

Request your visit
  1. 01

    Explain the night you had

    Tell the clinic what started, at what time, what you tried and whether things have improved or deteriorated. Their questions help set the urgency.

  2. 02

    Go over the details

    At the appointment, your notes can fill any gaps while your symptoms and medical background are reviewed in person.

  3. 03

    Have it examined

    Your dentist looks at the sore spot and may order X-rays. They are looking for infection, decay, a fracture, trauma or some other cause.

  4. 04

    Hear what comes next

    Discomfort or a risk to the tooth can be addressed, and any treatment that needs another appointment is planned with you.

Getting through the night

Modest things you can do until morning.

Rinsing with warm salt water and cleaning gently around the spot may bring some comfort. If you have broken a tooth, save the pieces and try a cool compress on the outside of your face for any swelling. Keep chewing on that side to a minimum.

Tempting as it may be at that hour, do not hold aspirin or another medication against the sore gum or tooth, and do not use household glue on loose dental work.

Set out by the door

  • Tonight’s notes: when it began and what has changed.
  • Anything that broke off or came out, kept safe.
  • Medications and allergies, including what you took tonight.
  • ID along with CDCP or insurance information.
Winnipeg North Dental treatment room with a teal chair, wood-look floor and white upper cabinets
Consultation room at Winnipeg North Dental with a desk, keyboard and a framed landscape painting

A teal chair in a treatment room, and a consultation desk, at the clinic.

Alone with it at 2 a.m.

Being frightened does not mean you overreacted.

Late at night, you only have your own judgment to work with. Choosing emergency care out of real concern is not a mistake. Likewise, phoning a dental office the next day with a long list of worries is entirely welcome.

Tell someone at home

If you are worried about your symptoms, let another person know how you are feeling.

Prop your notes up

Tired brains forget things, so leave your list where you will see it when you call.

Note what eased it

Whatever made the night more bearable is useful information for your dentist.

After the rough night

Do not let the better morning fool you.

Pain that fades at sunrise may still have a cause that needs attention. A good morning is not a reason to cancel the plan you made overnight.

01

Still make the call

Phone even when you feel better, and mention the symptoms that kept you awake.

02

Finish what was started

If treatment at your urgent visit was only a first stage, arrange the next one.

03

Keep the warning list

Save the two lists above, in case symptoms change after your appointment.

Reach the clinic at (204) 338-3003 about worsening symptoms or questions regarding your care.

Talk with our team
Front of the Winnipeg North Dental building with its sign, glass doors and shaded windows

Winnipeg North Dental

Unit-5 2358 Mcphillips Street, Winnipeg, MB R2V 4J6
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Southdale, keep this handy

Where to Go Once It’s Dental

Southdale is in Winnipeg. Residents needing a dentist are seen at Winnipeg North Dental, Unit 5, 2358 McPhillips Street, Winnipeg, MB R2V 4J6. It can help to save this picture of the building’s front doors and sign along with the address.

Save (204) 338-3003 in your phone for a problem that cannot wait. The form is intended for non-urgent requests, and nothing is reserved until the clinic confirms it, so it is the wrong tool for an urgent concern.

Questions about coverage?

Talk with our team before your visit or learn about CDCP.

A little clarity before your visit

Your questions, answered.

Helpful details about emergency dentistry in Southdale.

Ask our team
How do I decide between 911 and waiting until morning?

Check the warning signs first: trouble breathing or swallowing, severe facial swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness or a serious facial injury. Any of those means 911 or emergency medical care. Otherwise, contact a dentist as soon as possible.

What if I call the clinic and nobody picks up?

Try again when you can, and leave a message if that option is offered. If any of the warning signs appear while you are trying, do not keep waiting for a reply. Phone 911 or head for emergency medical care right then.

Is an unbearable toothache a reason to go to the hospital?

On its own, most isolated dental pain is better assessed by a dentist, since that is where the cause can be found and treated. If swelling, breathing or swallowing difficulties join in, it becomes a medical matter.

My gum started swelling this evening. Should I watch it overnight?

Keep watching for any spread, and contact a dental office promptly. If swelling is rapidly spreading or your breathing or swallowing is affected, it needs emergency medical care right away.

Can a salt-water rinse tide me over until I can call?

It may offer some comfort for now, and careful cleaning can also help. Neither one treats an underlying problem, though, so please still arrange an assessment instead of relying on rinsing alone.

I went to the hospital overnight. What should I tell you?

Explain what happened, what you were told and any medication you received. Bring along any paperwork you were given if you have it. The dental side of your care can then continue from there.

How can a Southdale resident reach the clinic?

Phone (204) 338-3003 and describe your night, including how things have changed since it began. The clinic is on McPhillips Street in Winnipeg, and a brief conversation helps establish what kind of appointment you need.

When you are able to call

Tell us how the night went.

Please phone about pain, swelling or an injury, and go straight to 911 for the warning signs above. When the problem is not urgent, send the form below, and wait for the clinic to confirm a time.

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