My Family Dental Urgent Care
Emergency Dentist — When You Can’t Wait
Toothache, a broken or knocked-out tooth, an infection or bleeding — call your nearest North Queensland clinic and we’ll help you get seen.
A dental emergency involves intense throbbing pain, a lost or loose tooth, an infection or oral bleeding — anything that stops bleeding, relieves severe pain or recovers a tooth. Tooth infections are taken seriously because they can spread to the jaw. Call your nearest My Family Dental clinic as early in the day as you can, and follow the first-aid steps below while you make your way in.
Call early
Phone your nearest clinic as soon as you can
Pain & infections
We prioritise urgent problems
Six clinics
Local help across North Queensland
First-aid guidance
Know what to do before you arrive
Dental emergencies never happen at a convenient time. A sudden toothache overnight, a tooth cracked on something hard, a filling that’s come loose, or swelling that’s getting worse — when it happens, you want to know what to do and where to turn. With six clinics across North Queensland, from Ingham and Innisfail in the north down to Bowen and Emerald, help is usually close by.
The single most important step is to call early. Phoning your nearest clinic as soon as a problem starts gives us the best chance of getting you seen and settling the pain quickly.
What Counts as a Dental Emergency
Not every dental problem is urgent, but some clearly are. Treat it as an emergency if you have:
- Severe or throbbing tooth pain that’s lasted more than a day.
- A knocked-out or loose tooth after a knock or fall.
- Signs of infection — swelling of the gum or face, a bad taste, or a pimple-like spot on the gum.
- Bleeding that won’t stop after an injury to the mouth.
Infections are the ones we most want to catch early, because a tooth infection can spread into the jaw and become far more serious. If in doubt, call and describe what’s happening — we’ll help you judge how urgently you need to be seen.
First Aid Before You Arrive
Chipped or broken tooth: rinse your mouth with warm water, save any pieces if you can, and use a cold compress on the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling.
Knocked-out tooth: hold it by the crown, not the root. Rinse it gently with milk if it’s dirty, and either place it back in the socket or keep it moist in milk or inside your cheek. Get to a dentist as fast as possible.
Toothache: rinse with warm water, floss gently to remove any trapped food, and use pain relief as directed. Don’t place aspirin directly against the gum. If pain persists or you notice swelling, be seen promptly.
What Happens at the Clinic
Our first priorities are to relieve your pain, stop any bleeding and stabilise the situation. For a broken or decayed tooth, that often means removing decay around the area and placing a temporary solution to settle things, with the definitive treatment planned for a follow-up. For an infection, controlling it comes first. We’ll explain what we’ve found and what the next steps are, and give you a written quote for any further treatment.
Important: This page is general information, not a substitute for professional advice. If you have severe swelling affecting breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, or a serious facial injury, seek urgent medical care or call 000. Outcomes vary between individuals.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
A toothache that lasts a day or two with significant pain usually signals a dental emergency — often an advanced cavity or an infection that needs attention. Pain is your body’s warning that something has reached the nerve or spread, so it’s worth being seen rather than waiting it out. Call your nearest clinic as early in the day as you can.
It depends on the problem, but the first goals are to relieve severe pain, stop any bleeding, and stabilise the tooth. For a broken or decayed tooth, a dentist will often remove decay around the area and place a temporary solution to settle things, with the definitive treatment planned for a follow-up. For an infection, the priority is controlling it before it spreads.
A tooth that has darkened should always be examined, because it can indicate the nerve has died or the tooth is damaged internally. On its own, though, a discoloured tooth isn’t usually an emergency unless it’s accompanied by pain, swelling or signs of infection — in which case you should be seen promptly.
Time matters. Handle the tooth by the crown (the white part), not the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it gently with milk or saline — don’t scrub it. If you can, place it back in the socket; if not, keep it moist in milk or held inside your cheek, and get to a dentist as quickly as possible. The sooner you’re seen, the more options there usually are.
Any situation involving intense throbbing pain, a lost or loose tooth, an infection, or bleeding that won’t stop is treated as a dental emergency. Tooth infections in particular are taken seriously because they can spread into the jaw. If you’re unsure, call your nearest clinic and describe what’s happening — we’ll help you work out how urgently you need to be seen.
Explore More
Related Services
Ready to Book Your Visit?
Book a visit at your nearest My Family Dental clinic — we’ll talk through your options and what it costs.