Children’s dental emergency? Follow our five-step checklist

First, it’s a good idea to plan so you’re prepared to act quickly if your child does have a dental emergency. The following tips will help you get ready.

• Register your child with a dentist – even if they haven’t started teething yet.
• Save your dentist’s contact details in your phone in case of an emergency.
• Make a note of your dentist’s arrangements for out-of-hours emergency child dental services.
• Put together a dental first aid kit that includes gauze, a container with a lid, saline solution and a cold compress.
• Organize regular exams with the dentist so any potential issues are dealt with before they become a bigger problem.

If you do need emergency dental treatment for your child, here’s what to do.

Step 1: Review

The first thing you need to do is review the severity of the situation. Check your child over thoroughly and assess how badly they’ve hurt themselves. If a blow to the face or bump to the head has damaged their tooth, call NHS 111 for advice. It might be best to take them to A&E and have them checked out properly – just to be on the safe side.

Step 2: Ring

If your child’s tooth has been knocked out, chipped or broken – but they haven’t been seriously injured – call your dentist immediately and explain what’s happened. Your dental team will do their best to arrange an emergency dental appointment for your child as soon as possible. They’ll also be able to give you advice for looking after your little one at home until your appointment.

If you can’t get hold of your dentist, call NHS 111 for advice. Don’t call your GP, as they don’t provide dental care.

Step 3: Relieve

Next, try to ease your child’s pain and make them comfortable until you can see your dentist. You can give them child-friendly over-the-counter painkillers. Just remember to check the label first and stick to the recommended dosage.

If your child’s mouth is bleeding, get them to bite down gently on a clean piece of cloth or gauze until it stops. If their mouth is swollen, place a cold compress on their cheek or jaw to help.

Step 4: Retrieve

After that, try and find your child’s missing tooth (or pieces of tooth). Acting quickly, preserving the tooth and bringing it to your dentist will give you the best chance of saving it.

If one of your child’s permanent teeth has fallen out, pick it up without touching the sensitive nerve root. Use water to rinse off any dirt and – if your child is willing – place the tooth back into its socket. Get your child to gently bite down on a piece of cloth to hold the tooth in place until you see the dentist. If this is tricky, place the tooth in a sealed container of milk or salty water and take it to your dentist. If you don’t have these, try to get your little one to hold the tooth between their cheek and gums.

If your child has only lost part of their tooth, you should also try to find it and take it to the dentist in a pot of milk or water.

If your child’s baby tooth has been knocked out, or you think the tooth is badly damaged and beyond repair, try to locate it anyway. A baby tooth won’t be replaced, but your dentist will be able to decide whether a damaged tooth can be saved.

If you can’t find your child’s missing tooth or tooth fragments, it’s possible they could have inhaled or swallowed them. If this happens, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Step 5: Reassure

Lastly, remember to stay calm and confident and set a good example for your little one. They may be scared, upset, or in pain and will look to you for support. So even if you’re worried, try to remain positive and reassure your child.