My Child Broke a Tooth—What to Do? Answers to 5 Dental Emergencies

Susan was busy typing a report at work, when the inevitable happened—the nurse from the elementary school called. Susan’s rambunctious son Benny had fallen off the monkey bars and broken his tooth. A front tooth! Susan was beside herself. She made her excuses to the boss and burst out the door.

Dental emergencies can be very frightening. How do you know if you should go to the dentist or the emergency room? What do you do on your way there?

1. BROKEN TOOTH. A tooth can chip, fracture, or break because of a trauma or injury, or because a cavity has weakened it. If a large chunk of it comes off, it will expose the nerve to air, saliva, food, and drink, which can be quite painful. A break can also damage the nerve inside. But sometimes a chip or a fracture may not be noticeable for awhile, or may produce pain on and off, depending on the pressure applied to the tooth. Whether you have a chip, fracture, or break, the minute you become aware of it, see your dentist as soon as possible. In Benny’s case, Susan should take him immediately to the dentist’s office and tell the front desk that it’s an emergency. In the meantime, save any pieces of the tooth you may find (the dentist may be able to cement it back together as a temporary fix), rinse the pieces of tooth and the mouth with warm water, apply gauze to any bleeding areas, and apply a cold compress to the cheek or lips over the broken tooth area, to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever if needed.

2. KNOCKED-OUT TOOTH. If you’ve gotten into an accident (or a sports injury) and had a tooth completely knocked out of your mouth, pick the tooth up by the crown or enamel portion—not the root—rinse the tooth in warm water, and if you can, try to reimplant it yourself. Unless the tooth is a primary (baby) tooth, most of the time your tooth can be saved, but time is of the essence. (Primary teeth should not be replanted as they can damage the permanent tooth in formation.) If you can get the tooth back in within five minutes, you’re more likely to save it. Otherwise the cells on the root dry out. If a head injury accompanies the tooth injury, go to the emergency room first and store the tooth in a container of milk wrapped in packed ice.

3. TOOTHACHE. Clean your mouth out with warm water, gently floss around the tooth to get rid of any food particles that may be irritating the gum, and if the tooth still hurts, contact your dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, and consider a topical pain reliever like Anbesol®. If a fever, difficulty breathing, or difficulty in swallowing accompanies the ache, tell your dentist it’s an emergency.

4. POSSIBLE BROKEN JAW. If you or a loved one has been in an accident and you suspect a broken jaw, apply a cold compress and go to the emergency room or to an oral surgeon immediately. Hold the jaw gently in place with your hands while traveling, or you can wrap a bandage over the top of the head and under the jaw. Apply ice to the area, and take a paper cup with you to catch drool or blood. Do NOT attempt to correct the position of the jaw yourself.

5. BITTEN TONGUE OR LIP. Gently wipe the area clean, and apply a cold compress. Whether or not this is an emergency is up to you to evaluate. If the bleeding won’t stop, go to the emergency room. If the cut looks deep or wide enough to require stitches, get immediate medical attention.

Dr. Yekaterina LEVIN
7000 Bay Pkwy., Ste. C
Brooklyn, NY 11204
1-888-754-3307