Guidelines for Broken or Knocked-Out Teeth

Call 108 if: The person has a serious injury or is unconscious.

Identify whether the tooth is chiped off (broken) or knocked off (fallen) for the images below

A knocked-out permanent tooth is a dental emergency. Knocked-out teeth can be re-implanted in many cases. A permanent tooth that is re-implanted within 30 minutes has the highest chance of success.

1. Collect Teeth or Teeth Fragments

• Handle teeth carefully because damage may prevent re-implantation (placing the teeth back in its socket).

• Touch only the crown, the top part of the tooth. Do not touch the root of the tooth.

• Rinse the tooth gently in a bowl of lukewarm water for no more than 10 seconds only if there is dirt or foreign matter on it. Do not scrub, scrape, or use alcohol to remove dirt.

2. Re-Insert or Store Teeth

• Rinse mouth with warm water.

• If possible, reinsert permanent teeth into the correct sockets and have the person bite on a gauze pad to hold teeth in place.

• If you can’t reinsert permanent teeth, or for baby teeth or teeth fragments, store them in whole MILK to prevent drying.
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3. Treat Symptoms

• Control bleeding with sterile gauze or cloth.

• For pain and swelling, apply a ICE. Encourage the child to suck on a frozen pop.

• For pain, take ibuprofen or ketorol-DT

4. Get Help

• For teeth that have been knocked out, call us or go to an emergency room immediately. Take the teeth or teeth fragments with you. Even if the teeth have been successfully reinserted, you should see a dentist.

• For chipped or broken teeth, call us/Book an appointment.