Emergencies don’t always occur during regular business hours.

Don’t panic! This is one of the most common Uh-Oh’s we treat! If your child has hit a baby tooth, call our office to schedule an appointment right away. Apply pressure to stop bleeding and administer Tylenol or Ibuprofen as needed for pain. If the baby tooth has been knocked completely out, the tooth does not need to be saved or re-planted because of the potential for damage to the permanent tooth.

Call our office to make an appointment right away. Apply pressure to stop bleeding and administer Tylenol or Ibuprofen as needed for pain.

Review and remember these tooth-saving steps that take you and your tooth from the time it falls out until you reach medical support:
1. Pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing surface) NOT the root. Locate the tooth immediately; don't leave it at the site of the accident. Handle the tooth carefully when you pick it up, and never touch the root of the tooth, only the crown (chewing surface).
2. If dirty, gently rinse the tooth with water. Use only water to gently rinse off any dirt. Do not use soap or chemicals. Don’t scrub or dry the tooth, and don’t wrap the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
3. Reposition the tooth in the socket immediately, if possible. Try to put the tooth back into its socket right away. Gently push it in with your fingers, by handling the crown, or position it above the socket and close your mouth slowly. Hold the tooth in place with your fingers or by gently biting down on it.
4. Keep the tooth moist at all times. The tooth must stay moist at all times, either in your mouth or, if it can’t be replaced in the socket, put it in milk, in your mouth next to your cheek, or in an emergency tooth preservation kit (such as Save-a-Tooth®). Don’t use regular tap water; root surface cells can’t tolerate that for extended periods of time.
5. See a dentist within 30 minutes of the injury. Bring the tooth with you to your emergency appointment ideally. It's best to see the doctor within 30 minutes; however, it is possible to save a tooth even if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.

Call our office immediately to schedule an appointment.

A crown or space maintainer can occasionally loosen and come out. This is not an emergency, just contact the office the following business day (Monday- Friday 8am – 5pm.) If you have it, keep the crown or space maintainer and we will schedule your child right away to re-cement. If a space maintainer is loose or broken in a way that is bothering your child, call the Uh-Oh Line.

Occasionally, after dental procedures and while still numb, your curious little one might have pulled at or chewed on the lips or cheek. This can cause swelling or even a white thrush-like look. Monitor your child to make sure they don’t continue to suck or bite on the area, rinse with warm salt water and give the site a few days to heal.

Your child needs immediate medical attention, call 911.