A Tooth on the Floor and a Crying Child: What to Do Right Now
When your child hurts a tooth, first work out which injury you are facing, then follow the matching steps below. Hold a knocked-out permanent tooth by the crown, keep it moist in cold milk, and get to a dental clinic straight away. Find the fragment of a chipped tooth and call JuniorDental the same day. Press a bitten lip firmly with a clean cloth.
A child dental emergency in Dubai never arrives at a convenient moment. It happens on a scooter, beside the pool or halfway through a football match, and panic is a perfectly normal first reaction. We know that moment well at JuniorDental, and nobody expects a parent to stay calm on the spot. Below, we have sorted the common injuries by scenario, so you may go straight to the one in front of you.
What should I do first when my child hurts a tooth?
TL;DR: Check your child before the tooth, then match the injury to the steps below.
Start with your child rather than the tooth. Ask whether they hit their head, and watch whether they are alert, breathing comfortably and answering you as usual. A blow to the head comes before any dental care, so read the hospital section further down if anything worries you.
Once your child calms down, wipe away blood with clean gauze or a damp cloth to spot where it comes from. Blood mixed with saliva tends to look like a lot more than it is. Then ring us, even from the car, so our team is ready when you arrive.
What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent tooth?
TL;DR: Hold it by the crown, keep the root moist, and reach a dental clinic as quickly as you safely get there.
First, check whether the tooth is a permanent one. Baby teeth are smaller and whiter, and most children start losing them naturally around the age of six, so the tooth in your hand may belong to the next section.
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the white chewing part, and avoid touching the root. If dirt clings to it, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Skip the scrubbing, the soap and the tissue wrapping, because the root surface holds living cells that help the tooth reattach.
If your child is calm and the tooth is clean, its best place is back in the socket. Ease it in facing the right way round, then ask your child to bite gently on a clean cloth. The International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) recommends replanting a permanent tooth immediately at the scene when it is possible (Fouad et al., Dental Traumatology, 2020).
It feels daunting to put a tooth back, and a frightened child may not cooperate. Neither situation is a failure on your part. Put the tooth in a small container of cold milk or saline instead. IADT names milk and saline as suitable storage and describes plain water as a poor medium, though still better than letting the tooth dry out.
Time matters. IADT reports that after about 30 minutes out of the mouth and dry, most of the ligament cells that help a tooth reattach are no longer alive (Fouad et al., 2020). Milk protects the cells during the drive, so keep the tooth wet and head to us or the nearest dental clinic without delay.
If more time has passed, bring the tooth anyway and call ahead. Our team explains which options remain for the tooth.
Is a knocked-out baby tooth an emergency too?
TL;DR: Leave a baby tooth out of the socket, press on the bleeding with gauze, and call us the same day.
A baby tooth that loosens and falls out around the usual age is not an emergency at all. The situation changes when a fall or a knock removes it early. If it happens, leave the tooth out, because reinserting it may damage the permanent tooth developing beneath the gum. IADT guidance advises against replanting primary teeth (Fouad et al., 2020).
Press a piece of clean gauze against the socket and ask your child to bite down on it. Call us afterwards so we check the gum and the neighbouring teeth. The part parents cannot see, the permanent tooth beneath the gum, is what we most want to check.
What should I do about a chipped or broken tooth?
TL;DR: Save any fragment, rinse gently, and book a same-day visit, even when the chip looks small.
Rinse your child's mouth gently with water and wipe away any blood. Look for the missing piece, and if you find it, keep it in a little milk or saline and bring it along. A cold pack held against the outside of the lip or cheek settles swelling.
A small chip may look harmless and still sit close to the nerve. Watch for a pink or red spot in the middle of the break, sensitivity to cold air or drinks, or a sharp edge that scratches the tongue. Any one of the three makes the visit more urgent.
A chipped baby tooth gets the same attention, because we want to check the tooth's nerve and the permanent tooth beneath it. A tiny chip with no pain, no bleeding and no sharp edge is usually not an emergency. We would still like to see it, so call us and describe what you notice.
How do I help a child with a toothache?
TL;DR: Clean around the tooth, cool the cheek, and call us, because the pain has a cause that needs finding.
Have your child rinse with warm water, then floss gently around the sore tooth to remove any trapped food. Trapped food explains some toothaches, and clearing it may ease the pain. A cold pack against the outside of the cheek may also help.
For pain relief, ask your pharmacist or paediatrician about a children's dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen, since the right amount depends on your child's age and weight. Do not give aspirin to a child, and do not place aspirin on the gum.
Facial or gum swelling, a fever, a bump like a small pimple on the gum, or pain that keeps your child awake may point to infection and deserve a same-day call. A face or neck that swells toward the eye, or swelling that makes swallowing or breathing hard, belongs in an emergency department.
What if my child bites their lip or tongue?
TL;DR: Press firmly with a clean cloth and add something cold; call for help if the bleeding will not stop.
Rinse gently with water, then press a clean cloth or gauze firmly against the cut. Hold the pressure steady rather than lifting to check, since each peek disturbs the clot. A cold pack held against the outside, or an ice lolly for a young child, eases swelling.
The soft lining of the mouth heals quickly, and small cuts usually settle without treatment. Get help if the bleeding has not slowed after about ten minutes of firm, steady pressure. A deep or gaping cut, or a cut across the edge of the lip, may need stitches and deserves prompt care too.
Check the lip for tooth fragments as well, since a hard knock sometimes leaves a piece behind.
When should I go to a hospital instead of a dental clinic?
TL;DR: Signs of a head injury, a possible broken jaw, uncontrolled bleeding or trouble breathing send you to an emergency department or an ambulance first.
Call 998 for an ambulance in Dubai, or take your child straight to the nearest emergency department, if your child lost consciousness even briefly, vomits after the injury, seems unusually drowsy or confused, or complains of a severe headache after a blow to the head.
A jaw injury also belongs in hospital. Teeth that no longer meet the usual way, a jaw that looks crooked or hurts to open, or a numb lip or chin may suggest a broken jaw. Heavy bleeding that continues despite firm pressure calls for the same response.
If a tooth is missing and you cannot find it, and your child is coughing or struggling to breathe, treat it as a hospital matter, because the tooth may have gone into the airway. A wound contaminated with soil may also need a tetanus check with your doctor. Once your child is stable, bring them to us and we look after the teeth.
What is worth keeping at home for a dental emergency?
TL;DR: A small kit removes the guesswork from the first few minutes.
A small carton of milk in the fridge, a few squares of clean gauze, a lidded container, a cold pack and our number saved in your phone cover the first minutes of most scenarios above. The kit travels well, so a bag or the car works too.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if my child knocks out a permanent tooth?
Pick the tooth up by the crown, avoid touching the root, and rinse it briefly in milk or saline if it is dirty. Ease it back into the socket if your child is calm, or store it in cold milk. Then call JuniorDental and get to a dental clinic straight away, because time out of the mouth matters.
Does a chipped baby tooth count as an emergency?
A tiny chip with no pain, bleeding or sharp edge is usually not an emergency, but a chipped baby tooth still deserves a check. Our team looks at the nerve and the permanent tooth beneath it. Call us the same day if your child feels pain or sensitivity, or if the chip is large.
Should I put a knocked-out baby tooth back in the socket?
No. A reinserted baby tooth may damage the permanent tooth developing underneath, and IADT guidance advises against it. Press clean gauze on the socket to control the bleeding, then call us so we check the gum and the permanent tooth waiting below.
When should I go to a hospital instead of a dental clinic?
Go to an emergency department, or call 998 in Dubai, after a blow to the head with drowsiness, confusion or vomiting, a possible broken jaw, bleeding that will not stop, or swelling that affects breathing or swallowing. Bring your child to us for the teeth once your child is stable.
Should I give my child aspirin for tooth pain?
No. Aspirin is not suitable for children, and it should never sit on the gum, where it burns the tissue. Ask your pharmacist or paediatrician about a children's dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen, which depends on age and weight, and call us so we find the cause of the pain.
Which liquid should I keep a knocked-out tooth in?
Cold milk or saline suits a knocked-out permanent tooth. IADT lists milk and saline as suitable storage and calls plain water a poor medium, though better than letting the tooth dry out. Never wrap the tooth in a tissue, and keep the root untouched.
Nobody expects you to remember every step, and freezing for a moment is human. Save the page, keep our number handy, and call JuniorDental whenever you are unsure which section fits, and we will help you decide the next step. Our guide covers general first aid and does not replace an examination. You will find our contact details at juniordental.ae.
