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Calm Steps After a Dental Injury

Child Chipped a Permanent Tooth: What Should You Do?

By the Downtown Dental Centre editorial team

If your child chipped a permanent tooth, have them stop the activity, rinse the mouth gently with clean water, apply a cold compress outside the face if swelling is present, and look for the broken piece.

Store any fragment safely and call a dentist promptly. A small chip may need smoothing or bonding, while a deeper break can affect the inner tooth and require urgent treatment.

Do not use glue or attempt a home repair.

Call About a Chipped Tooth
A child attending a dental checkup with a dentist.
Quick Answer

Is a Chipped Permanent Tooth in a Child an Emergency?

It needs prompt dental advice. Urgency depends on pain, bleeding, tooth movement, swelling and how much tooth is missing. A dentist should examine the tooth even if the child feels little pain because cracks or pulp exposure may not be obvious at home.

Start With Safety and Reassurance

First Steps for a Parent or Caregiver

Help the child stay calm and avoid further impact. If there are signs of a medical emergency, get medical help first rather than delaying care to look for a tooth fragment.

Only have the child rinse if they are awake, alert and able to do so safely. Do not repeatedly wiggle or test the injured tooth.

Do not scrub the broken area, apply aspirin or chemicals, or use household glue. Keep a found fragment out of the child’s mouth and in a clean container while you ask the dental team how to keep it moist and transport it safely.
  1. Help the child stay calm and stop the activity.
  2. Check whether the tooth is chipped, loose, displaced or completely knocked out.
  3. Rinse gently with clean water if the child can do so safely.
  4. Use a cold compress wrapped in a cloth outside the face for swelling.
  5. Find the tooth fragment if possible and handle it carefully.
  6. Call the dental office and describe the injury.
  7. Follow the dentist’s instructions about timing and fragment storage.
The Tooth Type Changes the Advice

Confirm Whether It Is a Baby or Permanent Tooth

Treatment differs between primary and permanent teeth. Front permanent teeth commonly begin appearing around age six or seven, but eruption timing varies. Age alone may not tell you which tooth was injured.

If you are unsure, tell the dental office the child’s age and tooth position. Do not attempt to reinsert a completely knocked-out baby tooth.

A knocked-out permanent tooth is time-sensitive and has a different emergency pathway from a chip. Call a dental professional immediately and review what to do when a tooth is knocked out. Do not delay professional advice while trying to identify the tooth yourself.
Know When to Act Quickly

When the Injury Needs Urgent Attention

Call a dentist promptly after a permanent-tooth chip. Describe any of the following signs so the team can advise how urgently the child needs to be seen.

Medical Emergencies Come First

For a significant head injury, loss of consciousness, breathing difficulty or another medical emergency, call 911 or seek emergency medical care immediately. Do not wait for a dental callback. The dental team handles the tooth, but broader injury may require medical assessment.

A Large Piece Is Missing

A substantial part of the tooth has broken away.

Strong or Increasing Pain

The child reports strong pain or discomfort that is getting worse.

Tooth Movement

The tooth is loose or has moved from its usual position.

An Exposed Centre

The centre of the broken tooth appears exposed. Do not probe it.

Bleeding That Persists

Bleeding does not settle with gentle pressure. Heavy uncontrolled bleeding needs emergency medical care.

Swelling

Swelling develops around the injured area or face.

A Changed Bite

The upper and lower teeth no longer meet normally.

Head or Facial Injury

There was also a blow to the head or face. Tell the dental team and seek medical advice when needed.

For urgent tooth-related contact guidance, review the clinic’s emergency information. A routine online message is not a substitute for prompt advice after a concerning injury.

Emergency Dental Care
Help the Team Understand What Happened

What Information to Give the Dental Office

When you call about a dental injury in a child, a clear description helps the office advise on the next step. Share what you know without delaying the call to collect every detail.

Photos may help the office understand the situation, but they do not replace an examination. Do not force the child’s mouth open or move the tooth to obtain a photograph.

Be ready to explain:

  • The child’s age
  • Whether the tooth is permanent, if known
  • When the injury occurred
  • How it happened
  • Whether a fragment was found
  • Pain, bleeding, swelling or tooth movement
  • Whether the bite feels different
  • Any relevant health conditions or medication
A parent and child discussing dental care with a dentist reviewing an X-ray.
More Than the Visible Chip

How a Dentist Assesses a Chipped Tooth

The dentist assesses the injured tooth and nearby tissues, using an approach suitable for the child’s age and tooth development. Learn more about children’s dental care.

  • Look at the size and depth of the chip
  • Check whether the tooth is loose or displaced
  • Assess neighbouring teeth and soft tissues
  • Test sensitivity or pulp response when appropriate
  • Check the bite
  • Take dental images if clinically indicated
  • Plan follow-up because changes can appear later
The dentist may also discuss a tetanus or medical review when the injury involved contamination or broader trauma. Let the team know about any other injuries and care the child has already received.
The Repair Depends on What Is Damaged

Possible Repair Options

A small enamel chip and a deeper break do not need the same care. Treatment depends on the injury, remaining tooth structure, root development, pulp health and bite.

The American Association of Endodontists notes that many chipped teeth can be repaired by reattaching the fragment, bonding tooth-coloured material or placing a crown, depending on the injury.

A dentist must assess a broken front tooth in a child before choosing a repair. Appearance or lack of pain alone cannot show whether the inner tooth has been affected.
A non-graphic front-tooth drawing shows a small missing corner at the biting edge, with a separate fragment below it. It represents an enamel-edge chip, not the depth or diagnosis of any individual injury. Small edge chip Save the fragment

Smoothing a Small Enamel Edge

A very small rough area may only need conservative smoothing by a dentist and monitoring.

Reattaching the Fragment

In suitable cases, the natural fragment may be bonded back. Bring it even if you are unsure whether it can be used.

Protective Pulp Treatment or Root Canal Care

Deeper injury can affect the pulp. Root development, exposure, symptoms and vitality guide age-specific treatment or referral.

Crown or Other Restoration

More extensive loss may require broader restoration after the tooth is stabilized and assessed.

Young permanent teeth may still be developing. Pulp-preserving treatment may be considered when appropriate; a deep chip does not automatically mean the child needs the same root canal treatment as a fully developed tooth.
Care Continues After the Repair

Why Follow-Up Matters

A tooth can look stable after repair but change later. Follow-up lets the dentist compare the tooth and surrounding tissues over time.

Tooth Colour

A change in colour may need assessment even if the tooth does not hurt.

New Sensitivity or Pain

Report discomfort that starts, returns or becomes stronger after the injury.

Pulp Vitality

The dentist may reassess how the inner tooth is responding as time passes.

Root Development

A young permanent tooth may need monitoring while its root continues developing.

Gum or Bone Changes

The team may review the tissues around the injured tooth and take images when indicated.

Restoration Condition

The repair is checked for changes in its surface, fit and function.

Keep every follow-up recommended by the treating dentist. Call sooner if the tooth darkens, pain develops, swelling appears or the restoration breaks. Do not wait for a routine visit when something changes.
Reduce the Risk of Another Impact

Preventing Another Sports-Related Chip

No product prevents every injury, but an appropriate sports mouthguard can reduce risk. The guard should fit securely and be replaced as the child grows or teeth change.

Use the night guard versus sports mouthguard guide to understand why an athletic guard is different from a sleep appliance.

Ask the treating dentist when the child can return to sport and what protection is appropriate for the injury and repair. A mouthguard is not a reason to return before the tooth is ready.
A blue athletic mouthguard sits beside a ventilated protective case labelled SPORTS. The appliance and case are shown separately, with no injured child or before-and-after result. SPORTS
Questions Parents Often Ask

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I save the broken tooth piece?

Yes. Store it as the dental office directs and bring it to the appointment. It may or may not be reusable. Keep it in a clean container, not in the child’s mouth, and do not delay urgent care to search for it.

What if my child has no pain?

The tooth should still be assessed. The depth of injury and pulp response are not always clear from symptoms alone.

Can a child’s front tooth be bonded?

Often, selected chips can be rebuilt with composite resin. The dentist must assess the injury, bite and root development before recommending a repair.

What if the tooth turns darker later?

Contact the dentist. Colour change can indicate internal changes and should be evaluated, even if the child is not in pain.

Is a chipped tooth the same as a knocked-out tooth?

No. A chip removes part of the crown, while a knocked-out tooth has completely left its socket. The emergency instructions differ. Do not reinsert a knocked-out baby tooth; seek immediate dental advice for a knocked-out permanent tooth.

Can the child return to sports immediately?

Ask the treating dentist. Timing depends on the injury, repair and risk of another impact. Follow any medical restrictions as well if there was a head or facial injury.

Authoritative Dental Health Resources

These resources provide general education. The AAPD resource presents the IADT guideline for fractures and luxations of permanent teeth. Your child’s injury needs an individual assessment; follow the treating dentist’s instructions for care and follow-up.

Prompt Advice for Your Child’s Tooth

Have the Injury Assessed, Even If It Looks Small

For a recent injury, review chipped and broken tooth repair in Regina and contact Downtown Dental Centre promptly. An examination can help determine the depth of the chip, appropriate treatment and follow-up.

Chipped and Broken Tooth Repair in Regina