A tooth just got hurt? Stay calm. Start here.

A permanent tooth knocked out completely

Time is the whole story. Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part), never by the root. If it is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds in milk or saline, not tap water for long and never with soap. Where possible, put it straight back into its socket and ask the child to bite gently on a clean cloth. If you cannot replant it, keep it in cold milk or in the child’s own saliva and come to the clinic immediately. A tooth replanted within 30 minutes has the best chance of surviving. Baby (milk) teeth are never replanted, because that can damage the adult tooth growing underneath.

A broken or chipped tooth

Find the fragment if you can and keep it in milk or water; it can often be bonded back. Cover any sharp edge with sugar-free chewing gum or orthodontic wax and see a dentist the same day, especially if the tooth is sensitive to cold or you can see a pink spot (the nerve).

A loose or pushed-out-of-place tooth

Do not force it. Keep to soft food, avoid biting on it, and come in as soon as possible. Displaced permanent teeth are easiest to reposition within the first hours. A slightly loose baby tooth usually just needs rest and a check-up.

Bleeding, swelling and pain

Press a clean gauze or cloth on a bleeding lip or gum for ten minutes without peeking. A cold compress on the cheek eases swelling. Paracetamol or ibuprofen at the dose for the child’s age is appropriate for pain. If the child vomited, is unusually drowsy, lost consciousness even briefly, or you suspect a jaw fracture, go to the hospital emergency department first and see us afterwards.

Our pediatric dentists see dental injuries as urgent cases every day. Call or WhatsApp the clinic and tell us it is a tooth trauma so we can prepare for you.