Chipped, broken or knocked-out tooth

What to do

1. Knocked-out adult tooth: pick it up by the top, not the root. Rinse briefly with milk or water if dirty. No soap, no scrubbing.
2. Try to put it back in the socket, then bite gently on gauze. If it won’t go in, keep it in milk or next to the cheek, not in tap water, and get to a dentist right away.
3. Chipped or broken tooth: save the pieces in a small container of milk.
4. Rinse with warm water, and press gauze on any bleeding for about 10 minutes.
5. Cold pack on the cheek, and cover sharp edges with dental wax. Take a pain reliever as the label directs.

What not to do

• Don’t put a knocked-out baby tooth back in. Call your child’s dentist.
• Don’t use a temporary filling kit on a broken tooth.
• Don’t file or sand a sharp edge yourself.
• Don’t wait because it stopped hurting.