Broken or Knocked out Tooth
If you knock out a tooth, you should:
- Find the tooth
- Hold it by the crown (the white bit that sticks out of the gum)
- Lick the tooth clean if it’s dirty, or rinse it in cold water
- Put it back into position if possible (adult teeth only); never try to re-insert a baby tooth (see below)
- Bite on a clean handkerchief or tea-towel to hold the tooth in place
- See a dentist as an emergency as soon as you can
If you can’t put the tooth back in position, put it in cold milk and see a dentist as soon as possible.
The sooner a knocked-out tooth is re-implanted, the more likely it is to embed itself back into the gum.
If your child knocks out a baby tooth, you should not try to re-implant it because you may damage the adult tooth growing underneath. Take your child to see a dentist as son as you can.
For teeth slightly chipped and NOT causing pain or trauma to the mouth, simply ring for a normal appointment for a repair. No great harm is caused to the tooth if it is not repaired straight away. If the break is large and cannot be repaired with a filling, other options are available, e.g. a Crown.