Emergency Dentist in Barrie: Prompt Care When You're in Pain

Written by Dr. Nick Jadidi, DDS — Last updated June 13, 2026 · 4-minute read

This article is general information for our patients, not a diagnosis. If something in your mouth hurts, changes, or worries you, have it examined.

A dental emergency is not something you planned for, and it rarely happens at a convenient time. Our job is to take the panic out of it: phone us, tell us what is going on, and we will sort out how urgent it is and get you seen as soon as we can. You do not need to be sure it is “bad enough” before you call.

Who should I call for a dental emergency in Barrie?

Start with us, and use the hospital only for the red flags below.

• During our hours — call our Barrie office at 705-721-9229. Describe what is happening; judging urgency over the phone is part of our job.
• After hours — you can reach the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit dental line at 1-877-721-7520 ext. 8818 for advice on where to go.
• Trouble breathing or swallowing, bleeding you cannot control, or a serious injury such as a suspected broken jaw — call 911 or go to the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) emergency department (the full red-flag list is in the box at the bottom of this page). Severe tooth pain on its own is a dental problem, not a hospital one — call us, and we will see you as soon as we can.

What counts as a dental emergency?

Severe pain, a knocked-out or broken tooth, facial swelling around a tooth, or bleeding after dental work all count, and most belong in a dental chair rather than a hospital waiting room. A small number of problems are different and need a hospital first — those are in the red box at the bottom of this page. If you are not certain which kind you have, our guide to what counts as a dental emergency and what to do first sorts the “call us promptly” problems from the ones that can safely wait until morning.

What we treat

When you call with one of these, we will fit you in as quickly as we can:

• A knocked-out, chipped or loosened tooth — a knocked-out adult tooth has the best chance of surviving if it is back in its socket within about an hour, so call us straight away; see first aid for a knocked-out, chipped or loosened tooth while you head in.
• Severe or throbbing toothache — often a nerve that is dying or infected; our guide to toothache and dental infection explains the pain patterns.
• Facial swelling — swelling around a tooth usually means an infection we should look at promptly. (Swelling spreading toward your eye or neck is the exception — that one goes to the hospital first.)
• A lost filling or crown, or a cracked tooth — uncomfortable and worth fixing before it gets worse.
• Pain that worsens a few days after an extraction — usually a dry socket, which we can often relieve within minutes.
• A sore, swollen wisdom tooth — often an infection in the flap of gum over the tooth (pericoronitis); see our wisdom-tooth guide.

What to expect at an emergency visit

We see you, find the cause, and focus first on getting you out of pain — a proper fix can sometimes wait until the urgent part is handled. We will explain what we find in plain language and lay out your options, including what each one costs. We cannot quote a fee before we have seen the problem, but we will give you a clear estimate once we have, and we welcome patients covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

Read the right guide before you come

Knowing what to do in the first few minutes genuinely changes how some emergencies turn out. Our Emergency Patient Information section is short and written in everyday language — find the question that sounds like yours, do the first step, and call us. It is the same advice I would give you on the phone.

How do I reach you?

Call 705-721-9229 and tell us what is happening, or book a visit through our contact page. We are at 172 Prince William Way, Unit 10, in Barrie’s south end. If you would rather talk it through before deciding, phone us — answering questions is part of the job too.