Same Day Dental Appointments in Kitchener

– What we can often do the same day
– How to book
– Insurance, direct billing and CDCP

Plenty of dental needs aren’t emergencies, but they still can’t sit on a list for weeks. Maybe you’ve just moved to north Kitchener and need a check-up, or a filling has felt rough since last month. Lancaster Dental offers same day dental appointments in Kitchener when an opening is available, so before you assume you’ll have to wait, call 519-578-9670 and ask what’s open today.

This page covers routine and non urgent care. If you’re in pain, have swelling, or have broken or knocked out a tooth, please see our emergency dentist page instead, and call us right away.

What we can often do the same day

How much fits into a same day visit depends on the time open in our schedule and on what we find once we look. These are the requests we can most often take care of on short notice:

A check-up. An exam with any x-rays you’re due for, so you know where things stand. Our dental exams and cleanings page explains what’s included.
A cleaning. If there’s room in the hygiene schedule, a cleaning may happen at the same visit as your exam. If not, we’ll book it soon after.
A small filling. A cavity found at your exam, or a filling that’s chipped or worn, can sometimes be fixed before you leave with a tooth coloured filling.
A loose crown. If the crown and the tooth under it are in good shape, we may be able to cement it back in place.
Denture adjustments. Sore spots and small fit problems can often be eased at the chair.
A consultation. Questions about Invisalign, veneers, whitening or a treatment another dentist suggested.

What usually needs another visit

Some treatment simply takes more time or involves a dental lab, so it can’t be finished in one sitting. We’ll be upfront about that when you call.

Want to be seen today? Call us at 519-578-9670 and tell us what you need. We’ll check the schedule while you’re on the line.

Work that usually needs a second appointment includes:

New dental crowns and bridges, which are made to fit your tooth
Most denture repairs and new dentures, since they often go to a lab
Larger restorations or several fillings in different parts of the mouth
Root canal treatment, which may be started one day and finished later
Deep cleanings for gum disease, which are usually spread over more than one visit

Even when the full treatment needs more time, a same day visit is still useful. We can examine the tooth, take x-rays, make a plan and go over the fees, so the next appointment is booked with everything ready.

What a same day check-up looks like

A short notice visit follows the same steps as any other check-up, so you aren’t getting a rushed version. We start with your medical history and any concerns you’ve noticed, like a sensitive spot or a tooth that catches floss. Then we take the x-rays you’re due for. Ours is a fully digital office, so the images come up on the screen right away and we can show you what we see.

Next comes the exam itself: we check each tooth, your existing fillings and crowns, your gums, and the soft tissue of your mouth. If we find something, we’ll explain what it is, how soon it needs attention, and what the choices are. Sometimes the answer is “keep an eye on it.” Sometimes it’s a filling we can do right then. Either way, you leave knowing exactly where things stand.

How to book a same day appointment

Phone is best. Same day openings come and go quickly, and a short call lets us match you to the right chair and the right length of appointment. When you call, it helps to tell us:

What you’d like done, or what you’ve noticed with your teeth
Whether you’ve been to our office before
Your dental insurance details, if you have coverage
Any medical conditions or medications we should know about

Calling earlier in the day gives you the best chance at an opening. If nothing is available today, we’ll offer the next spot we have and can let you know if something opens up sooner. New patients are welcome; you can fill out our patient forms ahead of time to save a few minutes at the front desk.

Insurance, direct billing and CDCP

A same day appointment is handled the same way as any other visit. We’ll explain the fees before any treatment starts, and you’re always free to take the plan home and think about it. For larger work, we can prepare an estimate for your insurer so you know what your plan will cover first.

We bill most insurance plans directly, so in most cases you only pay the portion your plan doesn’t cover. For anything your plan doesn’t cover, we accept credit cards and cash. If you aren’t sure whether your plan covers a cleaning this soon after your last one, we can help you check. We also accept the Canadian Dental Care Plan; since coverage varies, confirm your own details on canada.ca.

Why same day care matters for small problems

Small problems tend to stay small when they’re handled early. A chipped filling left alone can trap food and lead to new decay around it. A loose crown can come off at a bad moment, or let the tooth underneath break down. Gums that bleed when you brush are easier to settle with a cleaning now than with gum treatment later. Getting in quickly often means simpler treatment.

It also helps people who’ve been putting the dentist off. If it’s been a few years, booking when you’re ready, rather than weeks out, makes it a lot easier to follow through. We won’t lecture you about the gap. We’ll simply start where things are.

A convenient office in north Kitchener

We’re in Suite 206 at 493 Lancaster Street West. That makes us handy for a same day visit if you live or work in north Kitchener, Bridgeport, Mount Hope or the streets around Breithaupt Park, and the office isn’t far for people along the Grand River or near the Waterloo border. Families often book back to back appointments so parents and kids are seen in one trip.

Same day appointment questions

Is a same day appointment the same as an emergency visit?

Not quite. Emergency visits are for pain, swelling, injuries and infections, and we fit those in as a priority. Same day appointments are for routine care that you’d like taken care of quickly. If you aren’t sure which you need, call and describe the problem.

Can I get a cleaning today if I’m a new patient?

Sometimes. A first visit includes an exam, and a cleaning may happen the same day or at a follow up visit, depending on how much time is open and what we find.

Can you fix a broken denture the same day?

Small adjustments, often yes. Cracks and broken teeth on a denture usually need a lab, so we’ll tell you how long the repair should take before we send it.

Will my insurance cover a same day visit?

Your plan treats it like any other appointment. Coverage depends on your plan’s limits and how often it pays for exams and cleanings, which we can check for you.

Can I bring my kids in on short notice?

Yes, when there’s room in the schedule. Tell us how many family members you’d like to book and we’ll try to line the appointments up together.

Call or book today

Have something you’d like looked at soon? Call Lancaster Dental in Kitchener at 519-578-9670 and ask what’s open today. If today doesn’t work, we’ll find you the next good time. Prefer to write? Send an appointment request through our contact page and we’ll reply with the times we have.

Related treatments

Questions or ready to book? Contact our Kitchener office or call 519-578-9670.