A fall at the park or a stray elbow at practice can leave a tooth chipped, loose or missing. Phone our Milton practice first, describe the injury and its timing, and ask what assessment is available. A knocked-out adult tooth calls for emergency dental care straight away.
It might be a chipped corner after a scooter tumble, a front tooth pushed out of line, root damage you cannot see, or a tooth that has come right out. Lips and gums often absorb part of the impact too, and a mirror can miss what an examination finds.
Phone as soon as you can. Tell us how the injury happened, roughly what time, and whether it is a baby tooth or an adult one if you know. Mention any knock to the head, face or jaw as well. A serious injury of that kind may need a hospital before anyone plans dental work.
Being in Milton helps with speed, but the call still comes first: it tells you what to do next and whether we can see you. A web form is too slow for a fresh injury. If our line is unavailable or we can’t offer immediate care, go to another emergency dental provider, above all when a permanent tooth is out.
Let us know when it happened and what first aid has already been done. If a tooth or a piece of one can’t be found, tell us that too, rather than assuming it simply landed on the floor somewhere.
This needs emergency dental care right away. Pick it up by the crown and keep fingers off the root. If dirty, rinse it gently in milk or saline; don’t scrub. If you are sure it is permanent and it is safe, ease it back without force and bite on clean gauze. Otherwise, store it in milk and come straight in.
Never put a knocked-out baby tooth back. If you can’t tell whether it is a baby or adult tooth, keep it in milk and get professional advice immediately. Don’t let a child hold a tooth in their mouth, where it could be swallowed or breathed in.
Call soon and explain whether the tooth has shifted, whether your bite feels different, and how it feels. Try not to keep wiggling it, and never push a displaced tooth back by force. Bring any broken piece, kept moist in milk, and mention anything else you’ve noticed.
Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency department for trouble breathing, heavy bleeding that won’t stop, a serious face or jaw injury, or signs of a head injury such as fainting, vomiting or double vision.
By the end of the first appointment, you should know as much about the injury as the findings allow, and which care can’t wait. Ask which teeth and tissues were affected and what is being done to protect them. A small chip and a tooth that has shifted or been put back in can call for quite different responses.
Good planning is honest about what is not yet known. Some changes only show at later reviews, so a tooth that feels fine after the first visit hasn’t necessarily finished healing. You should leave knowing why follow-up is booked and who to call if something changes before then.
Patient information: American Association of Endodontists — updated trauma guidance and ongoing monitoring
When it happened, how, where the tooth sits now and what first aid was given can all shape decisions. Share what you remember and leave gaps as gaps rather than guessing. If someone else has already looked at the injury, bring those records or tell us where you were seen.
Baby teeth, a child’s permanent tooth that is still developing, and a mature adult tooth may each be handled differently. Ask how the type of tooth affects the advice. Two chips that look alike don’t automatically mean identical treatment.
Ask what will be checked at each later appointment and whether the plan might change as healing goes on. Reviews track recovery and can catch problems that weren’t visible at first. Talk about them early, before attention moves entirely to how the repair looks.
Depending on what is found, the first visit may include assessment, stabilizing the tooth, treatment or a referral. Ask which parts are urgent and which choices can sensibly wait until more is known.
Describe when the injury occurred, what caused it, and any first aid or treatment given since. Mention missing teeth or pieces, health conditions, medicines and allergies. If a doctor or hospital has already assessed other injuries, let the dentist know what they found.
The dentist examines the injured area and decides which images and tests are needed. Ask which teeth should be watched, including neighbours that look undamaged. If the injury needs a different setting or a specialist, you should hear the reason clearly.
Talk through the proposed treatment, comfort measures, alternatives and fees. Depending on findings, care might mean covering a fracture, easing a tooth back into place and stabilizing it, or arranging more treatment. Ask whether today’s result is temporary and what further work could follow.
Confirm what to do about cleaning, eating, activity and follow-up for your injury and the treatment you had. Ask how to reach the treating team if something needs attention. Keep appointment details where you can find them, especially if more than one provider is involved.
What you’re asked to do at home depends on the injury, the type of tooth and the treatment given. A splinted tooth, a repaired chip and an injured baby tooth may each need their own routine and review schedule.
Ask how to clean around the tooth or splint and which foods or activities to skip for now. Don’t test it by biting something hard or rocking it. Call if the instructions are hard to follow or something starts to feel loose.
Tell us about pain that is getting worse, swelling, discharge, a bite that feels different or any other new concern. Give the injury date and the treatment you had. The team can say whether the next review still fits or the tooth should be seen sooner.
Hold on to the details of the first treatment and bring them if another clinician sees you later. Ask about any forms you need for school, sport, work or insurance. Paperwork keeps care connected, while the reviews themselves stay focused on how the tooth is healing.
Phone us about a recent injury, and use emergency services when they are needed. These answers help with planning but can’t replace an examination of the injured person and their teeth.
Phone our Bronte Street practice about a recent dental injury and ask what assessment is available today. Tell us when it happened and what has changed since. If you need help immediately and can’t reach us, contact another emergency dental provider.
Online forms are for questions that can wait. How an injury is managed, whether referral or follow-up is needed, fees, and whether a tooth can be kept all depend on assessment; no outcome or same-day appointment is guaranteed.
