What to Do if a Baby Tooth Is Knocked Out

A knocked-out baby (milk) tooth looks alarming, but it’s rarely a race against the clock the way a permanent tooth is. The single most important thing to know: do not try to put a baby tooth back in. Comfort the child, control any bleeding, and get it checked by a dentist.

Is this a baby tooth or a permanent tooth?

This matters, because the advice is different. If you’re not sure, see our guide on telling a baby tooth from a permanent tooth. As a quick check:

• Children usually start losing baby teeth from around age 6, so a tooth lost before this age is almost always a baby tooth.
• Baby teeth are smaller and whiter than the permanent teeth that will eventually replace them.
• If in doubt, treat it cautiously and don’t attempt to replant it — that’s the safe default either way.

Why you shouldn’t put it back in

This is different from a permanent tooth, and it’s not a smaller version of the same emergency. Underneath every baby tooth sits the developing permanent tooth that will eventually take its place. Pushing a baby tooth back into the socket risks damaging that permanent tooth as it forms — so even though it feels like the instinctive thing to do, leaving it out is the safer choice.

What to do right now

1. Stay calm and reassure the child. This is often more frightening than painful, and children pick up on a parent’s or carer’s reaction.
2. Find the tooth if you can, but don’t worry if you can’t — see “What if I can’t find it?” below.
3. Control any bleeding. Get the child to bite gently on a clean, damp piece of gauze or cloth for 10–15 minutes.
4. Do not attempt to replant the tooth. Keep it somewhere safe if you’d like to bring it to the appointment, but there’s no need to store it in milk or saliva the way you would a permanent tooth, since it won’t be put back in.
5. Book a dentist appointment. This isn’t usually a 999 or A&E situation on its own — but it does need a dentist to check the socket and confirm there’s no damage to the permanent tooth underneath.

Get help now

• Contact your dentist to arrange an appointment — same day or next available, rather than an immediate emergency in most cases.
• Call NHS 111 if you can’t reach a dentist and want advice on next steps.
• Go to A&E or call 999 if there’s also a head injury, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding that won’t stop, or a suspected broken jaw — these are about the wider injury, not the tooth itself.

Do not do these things

• Don’t try to push the tooth back into the socket.
• Don’t panic if you can’t find the tooth — it’s not urgent in the way a permanent tooth is.
• Don’t ignore it either — a dentist still needs to check the area, even if the child seems fine.
• Don’t assume every knocked-out front tooth in a young child is a baby tooth without checking the age and size against the guide above.

What if…?

I can’t find the tooth.
This is far less urgent than with a permanent tooth. If there’s any chance it could have been swallowed or inhaled — for example, if the child coughed or seemed to choke — mention this to the dentist or call NHS 111 for advice, just to be safe.

The tooth wasn’t fully knocked out, just loosened or pushed sideways.
Still book a dentist appointment. A loosened or displaced baby tooth needs the same professional check, even without full avulsion.

I’m not sure if it’s a baby or permanent tooth.
Don’t attempt to replant it either way, and get it checked by a dentist as soon as reasonably possible — being cautious costs nothing here.

What the dentist may do

The dentist will check the socket, confirm the rest of the tooth hasn’t fractured below the gumline, and take a look to make sure the permanent tooth developing underneath hasn’t been affected. In many cases, no treatment is needed beyond this check. They’ll let you know if any follow-up or monitoring is required as the permanent tooth continues to develop.

Aftercare and follow-up

Once you’ve seen a dentist, everyday care is usually straightforward — gentle brushing around the area and normal soft foods for a day or so while any soreness settles. If you notice ongoing swelling, pain, or anything that seems to be affecting the permanent tooth as it comes through later on, get it checked again.

Related guides

• What to do if a permanent tooth is knocked out
• How to tell a baby tooth from a permanent tooth
• Dentist, NHS 111, A&E or 999: where to get help for a dental injury

Print this before you need it

The Knocked-Out Tooth Poster covers the permanent-tooth emergency steps and is worth having on hand regardless — the baby-tooth advice above is short enough to remember, but knowing the difference matters. Download free

Being prepared

Having a calm, clear plan for a fall — knowing what to check, what to do, and that it’s usually not a race against the clock — makes these moments easier to handle. Learn about the ToothRevive Kit

References

• International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT), Guidelines for the Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries: Injuries in the Primary Dentition, 2020 (current as of August 2026)
• NHS, Knocked-out tooth, nhs.uk

This guide does not replace assessment by a dentist or emergency service. It reflects current international and UK guidance, reviewed by Dr Yousuf Ibrahim, BDS.