What to Do When Your Child Chips or Knocks Out a Baby Tooth

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Ray Klein, DDS on September 24, 2026

Your kid trips, lands face-first, and suddenly there’s blood and crying. Your first thought is probably about their teeth, but here’s what to do first: take a breath and check your child, not just their mouth, but their whole body. Did they hit their head? Are there any bumps or cuts anywhere else? If you even suspect a head injury, forget about the teeth for now and get to the emergency room.

Once you know your child is okay otherwise, then we can look at what happened to that tooth. We see these injuries all the time at Silicon Beach Pediatric Dental, and not every chip or knock requires you to rush in immediately. Knowing what you’re looking at can save you a lot of stress and help you figure out whether you need to call us right away or if it can wait until morning.

What to Do in the First Few Minutes

Before you worry about what kind of injury it is, focus on the basics. Rinse your child’s mouth gently with water so you can actually see what happened. If there is any bleeding, apply light pressure with a clean piece of gauze or a soft cloth for a few minutes. A cold compress against the cheek near the injury can help with swelling and keep your child more comfortable while you sort out next steps.

If a piece of the tooth broke off or the whole tooth came out, try to find it. Rinse it gently if you do, but do not scrub it, and bring it with you to the appointment. Staying calm yourself goes a long way here too, since kids pick up on parent stress quickly, and a calmer child is easier to check over and easier for us to examine later.

If It’s Just a Little Chip

So your kid chipped a tooth, and it looks like only a tiny piece of the white part broke off. Unless something feels sharp or is poking their tongue or lip, you’re probably fine waiting for a phone call or an appointment the next day. These enamel-only chips, just the outermost layer of the tooth, are common, and unless they’re bothering your child, they don’t need immediate treatment.

When the Chip Goes Deeper

Now, if you can see a yellowish or darker color underneath where the chip is, that’s different. Your child probably broke into the dentin layer, the second layer of teeth, and that matters because these teeth can be more sensitive beyond the initial shock of the injury. You might notice them wincing when they drink something cold or hot.

That’s your sign that the fracture went deeper than you thought. Research shows dental injuries affect an estimated 15 percent of preschool-age children and 20 to 25 percent of school-age children with primary teeth, and getting them evaluated quickly makes a difference in how we treat them. If your child’s showing signs of sensitivity that won’t go away, call us. Dr. Hayley and Dr. Ray will want to examine the tooth and probably take an X-ray to see how deep it goes and figure out the best way to address the discomfort.

If the Whole Tooth Is Gone

Okay, this one really freaks parents out. Your child falls, and suddenly, a whole tooth is missing. First thing: try to find that tooth. It genuinely helps to see the tooth that came out.

There are two big reasons why. One, we need to make sure the full tooth actually came out. If it didn’t come out in full, Dr. Ray and Dr. Hayley will walk you through what’s best for your child in that situation. Two, if you cannot find it anywhere, there are a couple of possibilities to consider. Sometimes the tooth doesn’t actually get knocked out, but gets pushed up into the gum tissue, and we will take an X-ray to check. The other possibility is that your child swallowed or aspirated the tooth.

Here’s something that surprises parents: we don’t reimplant baby teeth. Even if you find it right away and it looks perfect, we’re not putting it back in. Baby teeth that get reimplanted have poor survival rates, and trying to put them back can actually damage the permanent tooth developing underneath.

What Comes After

Whether it’s a small chip or a missing tooth, the story doesn’t end when you leave our office. Dr. Hayley and Dr. Ray don’t believe in one-size-fits-all approaches, because every kid and every injury is different. They will guide you through follow-up appointments based on your child’s needs, and those visits typically fold right into your child’s normal dental exams and cleanings schedule so we can keep an eye on how the tooth is healing.

Simple Ways to Help Prevent Dental Injuries

You cannot prevent every fall, but a few habits lower the odds of a dental injury. A properly fitted mouthguard during sports and active play protects front teeth from direct impact. Babyproofing sharp furniture edges and using gates on stairs cuts down on the kind of face-first falls that cause most of these injuries in toddlers. It also helps to avoid letting young children walk or run with a toothbrush, pacifier, or hard object in their mouth, since a fall with something rigid between the teeth is one of the more common ways chips happen.

Get Your Child Checked Out at Silicon Beach Pediatric Dental

Dealing with your toddler’s dental emergency is stressful enough without wondering what to do next. Dr. Hayley Botwin and Dr. Ray Klein understand what you’re going through when your child gets hurt, and we’re here to tell you clearly whether you need to come in right away or if you can just keep an eye on things at home.

If your child chipped or knocked out a tooth, don’t sit there wondering, reach out through our contact form or give us a call so we can help you figure out what to do.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chipped and Knocked-Out Baby Teeth