Pediatric Dental Emergencies
If your child has had a dental injury, call us right now — don't wait. We'll walk you through what to do and get you in same-day when possible.
When to go to the ER first, then call us
- • Loss of consciousness, even briefly, after a head or face injury.
- • Difficulty breathing, swallowing, or speaking.
- • Severe facial swelling that is rapidly worsening.
- • Uncontrolled bleeding that does not stop after 15 minutes of pressure.
- • A jaw injury where the jaw cannot open or close normally.
For non-life-threatening dental injuries, call us first — ER staff can stabilize but typically refer back to a pediatric dentist for treatment.
What to do right now
Knocked-out permanent tooth
- 1Find the tooth. Pick it up by the crown (the top), not the root.
- 2Gently rinse with milk or saline if dirty. Do not scrub.
- 3If your child is calm enough, place the tooth back into the socket and have them bite gently on a clean cloth.
- 4If you cannot replant it, store the tooth in milk (not water).
- 5Call us immediately. Time matters — the first 30 to 60 minutes are critical.
Knocked-out baby tooth
- 1Do not try to replant a baby tooth. It can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath.
- 2Apply gentle pressure with gauze if there is bleeding.
- 3Call us so we can check for any retained root fragment and check the area.
Chipped, cracked, or fractured tooth
- 1Rinse the mouth with warm water.
- 2Save any tooth fragments you can find — bring them to your visit.
- 3Apply a cold compress to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling.
- 4Call us same-day so we can determine if treatment is urgent.
Toothache
- 1Rinse with warm water; floss gently to remove anything stuck between teeth.
- 2Use age-appropriate over-the-counter pain reliever (acetaminophen or ibuprofen) per package directions.
- 3A cold compress on the outside of the cheek can help.
- 4Do not place aspirin or any pain medication directly on the gum — it can burn the tissue.
- 5Call us. A persistent toothache usually means infection that needs treatment.
Soft tissue injury (lip, tongue, cheek)
- 1Rinse with warm water.
- 2Apply gentle pressure with gauze for 10 to 15 minutes.
- 3Cold compress on the outside.
- 4If bleeding does not stop, or if the cut is deep or longer than half an inch, go to the ER first — some injuries need stitches before dental follow-up.
Object stuck between teeth
- 1Try gently flossing it out. Do not use a sharp object.
- 2If it will not come free, call us — we can remove it without damaging the tooth or gum.
After-hours emergencies
{{REVIEW: describe the practice's after-hours emergency line / on-call doctor / answering service workflow}}
Save our numbers in your phone now
When a dental emergency happens, you don't want to be searching.