Dental emergency
Knocked-out permanent tooth
The single biggest dental emergency — every minute counts.
First 30 minutes
Do this right now
Pick the tooth up by the crown (top), never the root. Rinse gently with milk or saline for 10 seconds. If possible, place it back in the socket and hold with clean gauze — or transport it in cold milk. Get to a pediatric dentist within 30 minutes.
Find nearest emergency dentistDo
- Hold tooth by the crown only
- Rinse with milk or saline (not water)
- Reinsert if you can, or store in cold milk
- See a dentist within 30 minutes
Don't
- Never scrub or wipe the root
- Never store in tap water
- Never re-implant a baby tooth (risks the adult tooth germ)
- Never delay — success drops fast after 60 min
When to go to the ER instead
Go straight to the ER only if there's uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, or a head injury alongside the tooth loss. Otherwise a pediatric dentist is faster and better equipped.
What happens at the dentist
The dentist reinserts and splints the tooth for 1–2 weeks. Follow-up X-rays check the pulp and root over 6–12 months. Some teeth need a root canal later.
Related treatments
Other emergencies
Chipped or broken tooth
Save the fragment. Cover exposed nerve. See a dentist today.
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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