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Emergency!
Where to look first when a tooth gets hurt or something urgent happens.
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Emergency!
Part of a tooth has broken away. This page explains what to do first, what not to do, and what a dentist may do.
Call your dentist as soon as possible, and bring any broken pieces. Call 911 first if your child is unconscious or cannot be woken, is breathing in an unusual way, or has a seizure. Go to an emergency department if your child also passed out, vomited two or more times, or has a bad headache, dizziness, confusion, or trouble walking or speaking, or if you think the jaw may be broken.
Stay calm and check your child. Look for other injuries too, especially to the head, lips and gums.
Please avoid these things:
A piece of the tooth has fractured off. That can range from a small chip in the enamel to a break that reaches the softer layers underneath or the living tissue inside the tooth. What is visible from outside does not reliably tell you how deep the break goes, which is the main reason a broken tooth is looked at rather than watched.
If a fragment is missing and has not been found, mention that when you call. The AAPD states that when a tooth fragment remains unaccounted for, radiographs are required to rule out its having been inhaled or come to rest in the surrounding soft tissue — a lip laceration being the example it gives.
What a dentist does depends on how much of the tooth is affected and whether the living tissue inside is involved. The AAPD’s restorative guidance describes crowns as one option for the intermediate restoration of fractured teeth, and its trauma guidance lists stabilisation and splinting among interventions that may be required. Where the pulp is involved, pulp treatment may come into the conversation.
Expect an examination and probably an X-ray before anything is decided. Which of these applies to your child’s tooth is not something this page can tell you.
A little piece of your tooth broke off. That happens to lots of people. The dentist has ways to make it smooth and comfortable again.
It looks small — do we still need to go? Ring your dentist and describe it. How a break looks from the outside does not reliably indicate how deep it goes, and a small visible chip can sit above a larger problem. Letting the dentist decide costs a phone call.
That depends on how deep the break goes, which only your dentist can tell. For a small chip in the outer enamel, the dentist may bond the piece back on, smooth the rough edge, or add a tooth-colored filling. Deeper breaks need more care. Either way, the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) recommends check-up visits, usually about 6 to 8 weeks and 1 year after the injury, to make sure the tooth stays healthy.
Yes. Keep it moist, for example in a small cup of water, and take it with you. If it is in good shape, the dentist may be able to bond it back on. If a piece is missing and has not been found, say so: the AAPD and IADT say an X-ray may be needed to rule out that it was breathed in or is stuck in the lip or cheek.
The considerations differ, because a baby tooth has a permanent successor developing beneath it and a limited time left in the mouth. Your dentist will weigh that. If the tooth was knocked out rather than broken, see Knocked-out baby tooth or Knocked-out permanent tooth.
The first-aid steps follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) HealthyChildren guidance on dental emergencies and the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) 2020 guidelines on fractures, reprinted in the AAPD Reference Manual. The 911 and emergency department wording follows the AAP head-injury page. The tips not to glue a piece at home and not to let it dry out are general safety wording based on these sources.
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This website is for education only and does not replace care from your dentist, physician, or emergency services.