Dental injuries - Knocked out, chipped or cracked teeth

If an adult (permanent, or secondary) tooth is knocked out, there is a good chance it will survive if it is put back into position straight away, and you seek professional help immediately. Every minute a tooth is out of the gum, the less chance it has of surviving.

Never try to put a baby (deciduous or primary) tooth back in the gum if it is knocked out. This can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath the gum.

How can you tell if it’s a baby tooth or an adult tooth? It can be tricky but baby teeth are smaller, smoother and usually whiter than adult teeth. Children’s adult teeth are often more yellow, larger, and can have bumps on their biting edge.

Knocked-out adult (permanent) teeth

If an adult tooth is knocked out:

• Stay calm
• Handle the tooth by the crown (smooth white part that is normally visible), not the root (yellowish pointy part).
• If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it in milk or saline for a few seconds. If this is not possible, rinse with the person’s saliva. Avoid rinsing the tooth with water, however if there is no other way to get the tooth clean, then rinse as briefly as possible with water. This is less damaging than pushing dirt into the tooth socket.
• Holding the clean tooth by the crown, gently put it back into the hole in the gum (socket). Make sure the pointy yellowish root(s) is the part that goes into the socket. Only do this if the person is conscious.
• Get the person to hold the tooth in place by gently biting on something soft, like a tissue or a napkin.
• Assist the person to see an oral health professional immediately.

If you can’t replace the tooth yourself:

• Try not to let the tooth dry out - place it in milk or ask the person to spit into a clean container or plastic food wrap, and place the tooth in their saliva.
• Do not use water to rinse or store the knocked-out tooth.
• Seek immediate advice from an oral health professional.

Knocked-out baby teeth

Do not try to put a knocked-out baby tooth back in the gum. See an oral health professional immediately to make sure there is no other damage to the other teeth or mouth.

Trying to replace a baby tooth might damage the permanent tooth sitting underneath in the gum. The baby tooth could fuse to the bone, causing problems when it’s time for it to fall out naturally, and might affect the growth of the adult tooth, bone and gums.

Oral Health Victoria provides emergency dental care. If outside of clinic opening hours, seek assistance from an out-of-hours medical service.

Chipped or cracked teeth

Teeth that have been chipped or cracked may or may not be painful. Either way, you should see an oral health professional as soon as possible because early repair can improve the survival of a damaged tooth.

If part of the tooth is broken off and is intact, store it in milk or the saliva of the person with the broken tooth and seal it in a container or plastic wrap, and see an oral health professional as soon as possible.

Preventing dental injuries

Always wear a mouthguard for all sports and training where there is a risk of mouth injury, such as football, rugby, soccer, basketball, netball, water polo or hockey.

An oral health professional can make you a professionally fitted mouthguard to give your teeth the best protection.

For more information see Mouthguards

Where to get help:

• Your dentist or other dental practitioner
• Emergency dental care is available at your local community dental clinic and at the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne. Visit Oral Health Victoria’s emergency dental care page, or call 1300 360 054
• Australian Dental Association 'Find a Dentist' or call (03) 8825 4600