- Home
- Parents Home
- Allergy Center
- Asthma Center
- Cancer Center
- Diabetes Center
- A to Z Dictionary
- Emotions & Behavior
- First Aid & Safety
- Food Allergy Center
- General Health
- Growth & Development
- Flu Center
- Heart Health
- Homework Help Center
- Infections
- Diseases & Conditions
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Play & Learn Center
- School & Family Life
- Pregnancy Center
- Newborn Center
- Q&A
- Recipes
- Sports Medicine Center
- Doctors & Hospitals
- Videos
- Para Padres
- Home
- Kids Home
- Asthma Center
- Cancer Center
- Movies & More
- Diabetes Center
- Getting Help
- Feelings
- Puberty & Growing Up
- Health Problems of Grown-Ups
- Health Problems
- Homework Center
- How the Body Works
- Illnesses & Injuries
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Recipes & Cooking
- Staying Healthy
- Stay Safe Center
- Relax & Unwind Center
- Q&A
- Heart Center
- Videos
- Staying Safe
- Kids' Medical Dictionary
- Para Niños
- Home
- Teens Home
- Asthma Center
- Be Your Best Self Center
- Cancer Center
- Diabetes Center
- Diseases & Conditions
- Drugs & Alcohol
- Expert Answers (Q&A)
- Flu Center
- Homework Help Center
- Infections
- Managing Your Medical Care
- Managing Your Weight
- Nutrition & Fitness Center
- Recipes
- Safety & First Aid
- School & Work
- Sexual Health
- Sports Center
- Stress & Coping Center
- Videos
- Your Body
- Your Mind
- Para Adolescentes
What to Do About Teeth Injuries
If your child loses a baby tooth earlier than expected, there's no need to try to replace it. But if a permanent tooth comes out, it's a dental emergency. Permanent teeth have the best chance of being saved when replaced within 15 minutes. So it's important to act quickly and follow the guidelines below.
Many other dental injuries are less urgent, but may need to be looked at by a dentist. Most dental injuries in preschool and school-age kids happen from falls, while dental injuries in teens are often sports-related. If you think your child has signs of head or other injuries, call your doctor.
What Should I Do if My Child Has a Tooth Injury?
If a baby, toddler, or young child injures the gums or baby teeth:
- Apply pressure to the area (if it's bleeding) with a piece of cold, wet gauze. If your child is old enough to follow directions, ask them to bite down on the gauze.
- Offer an ice pop to suck on to reduce swelling, or hold an ice-pack wrapped in a washcloth to the cheek.
- Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed for pain.
- Call a dentist.
- Watch for swelling of the gums, continued pain, a fever, or a change in the color of the tooth.
If a permanent tooth is chipped or broken:
- Collect all pieces of the tooth.
- Rinse your child's mouth with warm water.
- Call a dentist right away to schedule a visit.
What Should I Do if an Injury Knocks Out a Permanent Tooth?
Go to the dentist or emergency room after following these steps:
- Find the tooth. Call a dentist right away or go to an emergency room if you aren't sure if it's a permanent tooth (baby teeth have smooth edges).
- Hold the tooth by the crown (the "chewing" end of the tooth) — not the root (the end that goes into the gums).
- Place the tooth in a balanced salt solution (like Save-A-Tooth), if you have it. If not, place the tooth in a saline solution or a container of milk or your child's saliva (spit). You also can place the tooth between your lower lip and gum. Don't store it in tap water.
- For older kids and teens, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. Have your child bite down on gauze to help keep it in place.
- If the tooth is stored in a container (rather than back in the socket), have your child bite down on a gauze pad or handkerchief to ease bleeding and pain.
Think Prevention!
Make sure kids wear mouthguards and protective gear for contact sports and helmets while biking, skateboarding, and inline skating. Childproof your house to help prevent falls.
- What Are Tooth Preservation Kits?
- Health Care Providers: Dentists
- How Do I Care for My Baby's Teeth?
- Mouth and Teeth
- Keeping Your Child's Teeth Healthy
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995- The Nemours Foundation. KidsHealth® is a registered trademark of The Nemours Foundation. All rights reserved.
Images sourced by The Nemours Foundation and Getty Images.