My Child Just Knocked Out a Tooth; What Should I Do Now?

We all love our children’s beautiful smiles, so it’s no surprise that your kid knocking out a tooth can cause a lot of distress and consternation. While your child’s emergency dentist may be able to reimplant the dislocated tooth, its chances of being saved will begin to diminish quickly after about thirty minutes. Here’s a brief guide to the best ways to safely transport your child’s dislodged tooth to the dentist’s office.

What Can Knock Out a Child’s Tooth?

Children’s teeth can be dislodged for reasons like:

• Falls: Children are still developing their ability to coordinate their movements, so it’s not uncommon for them to trip or fall at the worst possible moment and injure their smile.
• Sports injuries: Young athletes often knock out teeth due to blows to the face or falls on the field.
• Roughhousing: Aggressive play sometimes leads to unpleasant oral injuries such as dislodged teeth.

Losing a baby tooth before it is ready to come out can set your child up for future oral health problems like dental misalignments. Immediately take your child to their emergency dentist if you suspect that they have lost a tooth too early.

What Should I Do When My Child Dislodges a Tooth?

By keeping calm and following these steps, you can help your child achieve the best outcome from this oral health crisis. After your child’s tooth is knocked out:

• Locate the tooth and pick it up only by the crown portion, as touching the exposed root can injure the vulnerable tissues there.
• If the tooth is dirty, swish it about in a bowl of lukewarm water to remove any debris.
• Give your child an appropriate over-the-counter pain medicine to reduce their discomfort.
• Place the tooth in a vessel with milk or some of your child’s saliva to keep it moist and nourished until you get to your dentist’s office.
• If you have an ADA-approved tooth preservation kit, you can use it to keep your child’s tooth in savable condition for up to twenty-four hours. It might be a great idea to stock up on these if your child plays sports.
• Contact your emergency dentist to explain the situation and let them know you’re on your way. Keeping their number in your address book can expedite this process.

Once you get to your dentist’s office, they will evaluate your child’s mouth and dislodged tooth to determine the best treatment. While it is sometimes possible to successfully reimplant the tooth, it may be necessary to consider an appropriate replacement or, for a baby tooth, a spacer to maintain the alignment of the smile until the adult tooth comes in.

About the Author

Dr. Saeed Rouhani earned his dental degree at Baylor College of Dentistry and keeps his skills current by participating in continuing education coursework. He is proud to be a member of the American Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. His office in Dallas offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry. If your child has dislodged a tooth, dial (972) 733-0999. To learn more about how dislodged teeth are reimplanted, contact the office online.