Dental emergencies
What to do right now.
Calm, evidence-based first-aid for every common pediatric dental emergency.
Life-threatening signs → call 911
Swelling reaching the eye or spreading down the neck, difficulty breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, or a suspected jaw fracture — go to the ER immediately.
Find nearest emergency dentistTriage by situation
URGENT — within 30 min
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
What to doSame day
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
What to doSame day
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
What to doURGENT — within 30 min
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
What to doNext business day
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
What to doSame day
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
What to doURGENT — within 30 min
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
What to doURGENT — within 30 min
Loosened adult tooth after trauma
Get to a dentist today — splinting saves the tooth.
What to doPediatric dental emergencies
What to do in the next 60 minutes — and where to go
Pediatric dental emergencies are one of the most under-prepared-for corners of parenting. Most families do not know, in the moment their child has knocked out a permanent tooth, that they have a 60-minute window before the periodontal ligament cells begin to die, that the tooth should be picked up by the crown rather than the root, that cold milk is the correct transport medium, or that the nearest general dentist is often less appropriate than a pediatric or hospital-based specialist. This library is built to be usable at 2am with one hand while you're driving. Every page opens with a triage box: emergency (call now), same-day, same-week, routine. Below that is a step-by-step first-aid protocol, then guidance on where to go and what to say when you get there.
We cover the common childhood dental emergencies — avulsed and displaced permanent teeth, primary-tooth trauma, crown fractures, soft-tissue lacerations, infections with facial swelling, post-operative complications, orthodontic breakages, foreign objects — with photos, video and evidence-based first-aid instructions from the IADT (International Association of Dental Traumatology) 2020 guidelines. Every entry answers three questions in the first paragraph: how urgent is this, what should I do right now, and where should I go? The directory then filters to pediatric dentists in your region who offer emergency slots, hospital privileges for cases requiring general anesthesia, and out-of-hours contact. Save this page in your phone's home screen before you need it.
The four things this pillar actually covers
Trauma to permanent teeth
Avulsions, luxations, intrusions, extrusions, crown fractures — first-aid protocol from IADT 2020, transport medium, target time-to-care and follow-up schedule.
Trauma to primary teeth
Never re-implant an avulsed primary tooth. Guidance on displacement, discoloration and permanent-successor risk, plus follow-up review at 2, 6 and 12 weeks.
Infection and swelling
Fistula, cellulitis, dental abscess and spreading facial swelling — the red flags that mean hospital, not office.
Post-operative and appliance emergencies
Bleeding after extraction, dry socket in older kids, broken orthodontic wires, lost or fractured space maintainers.
How it works
Four steps from question to answer
Triage in 30 seconds
Every page opens with the emergency-to-routine box so you know how fast to move.
Follow the first-aid steps
Photo-illustrated, evidence-based first aid you can execute one-handed.
Find urgent care
One tap filters our directory to pediatric dentists with same-day emergency slots in your area.
Plan the follow-up
Post-trauma teeth need review at 2, 6 and 12 weeks. Every emergency page schedules the reminders.
Frequently asked
Answers to the questions parents ask us most
My child knocked out a permanent tooth. What do I do?
Find the tooth, pick it up by the crown (not the root), rinse briefly in cold milk or saline if dirty, and re-implant it in the socket if you can. If not, transport it in cold milk (not water) and get to an emergency dentist within 60 minutes. Every minute out of the mouth reduces the chance of a successful, stable re-implantation.
My toddler knocked out a baby tooth. Should we put it back?
No. Re-implanting an avulsed primary tooth risks damaging the developing permanent successor above it. Control bleeding with clean gauze pressure, give age-appropriate pain relief, and book a same-day or next-day dental review to check the socket and the neighbouring teeth.
How can I tell if the swelling in my child's face is a dental emergency?
Swelling that is spreading, closing an eye, crossing the midline of the face, causing difficulty swallowing or breathing, or accompanied by fever above 38.5°C is a hospital emergency. Localised swelling next to a specific painful tooth is a same-day dental visit — but never overnight without review.
Is a knocked-loose tooth an emergency?
Any tooth that has been displaced, tilted, pushed up into the gum, or is significantly loose after trauma is a same-day dental emergency. Prognosis worsens with delay. Do not attempt to reposition it yourself — take a photo, keep the child on soft foods, and see a dentist within hours.
What painkiller can I give my child while we get to the dentist?
Age-appropriate ibuprofen (with food) is typically the most effective for dental pain. Paracetamol/acetaminophen can be added if pain is severe. Do not apply aspirin or clove oil directly to the gum — both cause chemical burns in kids. Never give aspirin systemically to children under 16.