Knocked Out Tooth in Children: What to Do in a Dental Emergency

If your child loses a baby (or ‘temporary’) tooth before you expect it and there is no blood or trauma, there’s little need to do anything about it, as a permanent tooth will replace it.

But if a permanent tooth gets knocked out, for any reason, that’s a dental emergency, and it needs to be responded to quickly.

Permanent teeth are most likely to be saved when replaced within 15 minutes to one hour.

The key is to stay calm, act fast, and follow these important steps from your trusted Bondi dental team— especially when dealing with a knocked-out tooth in Bondi.

Why is an Avulsed Tooth a Serious Issue?

When a permanent tooth is lost due to trauma, it’s more than just a cosmetic issue — it’s a true dental emergency. A knocked-out tooth has no blood supply and can die quickly if not properly handled or reinserted.

If left untreated, it can lead to long-term complications and may eventually require a crown, dental implant, or denture.

The success of reimplantation depends on how quickly the tooth is replaced, how clean it remains, and how well it’s kept hydrated. In most cases, the tooth will need to be splinted (stabilised) to the surrounding teeth by your dentist, and sometimes a root canal may be necessary later on.

What to Do When Your Child’s Tooth Gets Knocked Out

When your child experiences a knocked-out tooth, it’s natural to panic — but your calmness can make all the difference. Here’s what you should do right away:

• Remain calm and assure your child that you can help. This may be the most important thing you can do. Children look to adults for guidance, and if you remain calm, collected, and cool, it will help your child deal with their lost tooth.
• If there is bleeding, place a small piece of folded gauze or cloth on the site and instruct the child to hold it in place or bite down on it. The pressure applied helps stop the bleeding in the area.
• Offer the child chilled water or an ice pop to help reduce pain and swelling.
• Always handle the tooth by its top (the crown), not by the bottom (the root). Gently wash the tooth with milk (do not use tap water, which contains potentially damaging chlorine, or scrub the tooth, which may damage it) in a container that prevents its loss. Milk has a chemical makeup that is not damaging to teeth.
• If the tooth is a permanent one, place it back in your child’s mouth in its socket if they will cooperate. Do NOT attempt to replace a child’s temporary tooth, as that can damage the permanent tooth growing beneath the jawline. Push the knocked-out tooth into the socket until it is level with the teeth on either side. Instruct your child to gently bite down on a gauze pad placed over the tooth – this will help keep it in place. Do this as quickly as possible – the longer a tooth stays out of the socket, the smaller the chance it can be re-implanted.
• If you cannot replace the tooth in its socket, place it in milk or inside your own mouth, where it can be bathed in saliva. Be very careful not to swallow the tooth accidentally. Another approach is to have your child spit into a cup, then hold the tooth in the saliva on the way to the dentist’s office.
• Contact your local Bondi dental clinic immediately for further follow-up and care. We are professionals in dental emergencies and treating children, and we always make time for dental emergencies such as knocked-out teeth in Bondi.

Emergency Dental Care in Bondi

If your child’s mouth or surrounding teeth are injured, your Bondi dentist may take X-rays to check for additional damage. They’ll stabilise the knocked-out tooth and assess whether further treatment, such as a root canal, is necessary.

Pain relief can usually be managed with over-the-counter options like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, as advised by your dentist.

At Bondi Dental, we understand that dental emergencies can be stressful — especially when they involve your child.

That’s why we always make time for urgent cases like knocked-out teeth and ensure your child receives gentle, compassionate care.

How to Prevent a Knocked-Out Tooth

While accidents can happen anytime, there are several ways you can help prevent a knocked-out tooth or similar dental injuries:

• Teach your child not to run or walk with objects in their mouth.
• Remind your child not to suck or chew on sharp, hard, or pointed objects.
• Give your child an athletic mouthguard for sports or athletics that can lead to injury.

We are happy to talk with you about making a customised mouthguard to protect your child’s teeth when they play sports or athletics.

Mouthguards are rubber-like covers that fit over your teeth and protect you against a blow to the mouth.

Your Bondi Dental team can have one made for you by taking an impression of your teeth and sending it to a laboratory. The laboratory makes the mouthguard and customises it so that it fits your mouth exactly.

Mouthguards can be transparent or coloured – for example, in the colours of the team if you want to wear one while playing sports.

Our clinic is open for your dental emergencies in Bondi 24 hours per day, seven days per week, in our modern, comfortable, and professional dental centre. We are open from Monday to Sunday, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

Knocked-Out Tooth Management in Bondi

Bondi Dental has a convenient location in the Eastern Suburbs – Bondi Beach, Bondi in Sydney. Our outstanding dental professionals have more than six decades of combined experience across all fields of dentistry.

We provide high-quality preventative, restorative, and cosmetic services for all patients across Bondi Beach and the surrounding suburbs.

We have free parking behind our building, and we offer a FREE Dental Consultation, including a complete dental checkup. We are your complete dental solution, for checkups all the way to knocked-out teeth!

Bulk Bill for children who are eligible for the MEDICARE CHILD DENTAL BENEFIT SCHEDULE

We offer free consultations for your dental concerns.

Find out more about our promotions here.

If your child experiences any dental emergencies or requires immediate relief, call us on (02) 9365 7187 or book your appointment online. We are located at 134 Curlewis St in Bondi Beach.