Dental emergency
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
Rinse the mouth gently with warm water. Save any tooth fragment in milk or saline. Apply a cold compress on the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling. Book a same-day pediatric dental visit.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Save the fragment in milk
- Cold compress on the cheek
- Age-appropriate paracetamol or ibuprofen
- Same-day dental visit
Don't
- Don't chew on that side
- Don't apply aspirin to the gum
- Don't ignore a small chip — the nerve may be exposed
When to go to the ER instead
Only if the chip comes with a suspected jaw fracture, severe facial swelling or a head injury.
What happens at the dentist
Small chips are often re-bonded with composite in one visit. Larger fractures may need an MTA pulp cap, a crown, or a root canal.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
Severe toothache
Pain that wakes the child up = same-day dental visit.
Dental abscess with swelling
Facial swelling from a tooth is an emergency — same-day, no exceptions.
Broken bracket, wire or aligner
Rarely urgent — usually a next-day fix.
Soft-tissue injury (cut lip, tongue, cheek)
Mouth wounds bleed dramatically — but heal fast.
Tooth pushed into the gum (intrusion)
A tooth driven into the bone — see a dentist immediately.
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