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Kids’ dentistry · Urgent first aid
Knocked-Out or Broken Tooth? Dental Injury First Aid for Children
If your child knocks out a baby tooth, do not put it back. If it is a permanent tooth, hold it by the crown, rinse it briefly if dirty, replant it or keep it in milk, and see a dentist immediately. At Yonsei Baro near Isu Station, Dr. Ho-seon Lee, a board-certified pediatric dentist, sees children with dental injuries.
Dental injury first aid at a glance
| Situation | What to do now |
|---|---|
| Head injury, fainting, vomiting, heavy bleeding, breathing trouble | Call 119 (English interpretation available) |
| Knocked-out baby tooth | Do not put it back; press on the gum with gauze; contact a dentist |
| Knocked-out permanent tooth | Hold by the crown, replant or store in milk, see a dentist immediately |
| Chipped, loose or pushed-in tooth | Save any fragment in milk; contact us the same day |
| Clinic closed (Wed, Sun, holidays, evenings) | Go to a hospital emergency room |
First, check your child, then the tooth
Falls and bumps are part of childhood, and mouths bleed a lot. Take a breath and check your child first.
Call 119 immediately if your child has hit their head and lost consciousness (even briefly), is vomiting, seems drowsy or confused, is bleeding heavily, or has any trouble breathing. English interpretation is available through 119.
Is it a baby tooth or a permanent tooth?
This decides what you do next. Under about age 6, front teeth are almost always baby teeth; permanent front teeth usually arrive between about 6 and 8 (see when baby teeth fall out ). If you are unsure, do not replant the tooth. Keep it in milk and see a dentist straight away.
What to do if a baby tooth is knocked out
- Never put a baby tooth back in. Replanting it can damage the permanent tooth developing beneath it.
- Press a clean, folded piece of gauze or cloth on the gum for about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding.
- Keep the tooth if you find it, and contact a dentist so your child can be checked for other injuries.
What to do if a permanent (adult) tooth is knocked out
This is a true dental emergency. The chance of saving the tooth is highest when it is back in the socket, or kept in milk, within the first 30–60 minutes.
- Find the tooth and hold it by the crown (the white part), never the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it briefly under cold running water for a few seconds. Do not scrub it or use soap.
- Replant it if you can. Push it gently back into the socket the right way round, then have your child bite on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
- If you can’t replant it, put it in milk. If there is no milk, use your child’s saliva in a small cup, or saline. Don’t keep it in plain water or let it dry out.
- Get to a dentist immediately. Call us on the way, or go to a hospital emergency room if we are closed.
Chipped, loose or pushed-in teeth
Chipped or broken tooth: keep the broken piece in milk or water, as it can sometimes be bonded back on, and contact us the same day. Repairs may involve a tooth-coloured filling or, for larger breaks in a baby tooth, a crown .
Loose, pushed-in or displaced tooth: don’t wiggle it or try to force it back. Offer soft food and arrange an urgent check, with X-rays if needed. Pushed-in baby teeth often re-emerge by themselves, but let the dentist decide.
Cuts to the lip, tongue or gums
Press firmly with clean gauze for about 10 minutes and hold a wrapped cold pack against the lip. Go to an emergency room if bleeding hasn’t slowed after 10–15 minutes, or if the cut is deep or crosses the lip line, as stitches may be needed.
Where should we go in Seoul?
When Yonsei Baro is open
Call +82 2-592-2080 or message us on WhatsApp or KakaoTalk before you set off, ideally with a photo. Contact us for pediatric dentistry appointment times. We are one minute from Isu Station Exit 2 ( directions ).
When we are closed
On Wednesdays, Sundays, public holidays and evenings, go to a hospital emergency room (응급실, eunggeupsil ) and phone ahead if you can, as not every emergency room has a dentist on call. For a head injury, loss of consciousness, vomiting, heavy bleeding or breathing trouble, call 119.
Let us know when you book that you’d like English support — Dr. Sally Chaekyung Lee and our team can help explain your child’s care in English.
Can dental injuries be prevented?
A mouthguard for contact sports such as taekwondo, correct car seats and supervision around stairs all help. Children with protruding front teeth injure them more often. Wearing braces? See braces and aligner problems .
Dental injury FAQs
Should I put my child's knocked-out baby tooth back in?
No. A knocked-out baby tooth should never be replanted, because pushing it back can harm the permanent tooth forming underneath. Stop the bleeding with gentle pressure on clean gauze, keep the tooth, and contact a dentist for a check. If you can’t tell whether it is a baby or permanent tooth, store it in milk and see a dentist straight away.
What should I keep a knocked-out permanent tooth in?
Milk is the easiest option at home. If you have none, use your child’s own saliva in a small cup, or saline. Avoid plain water, and never wrap the tooth in tissue or let it dry out. Gently replanting the tooth in its socket is better still, if you can.
Where can I take my child for a dental injury on a Sunday or at night?
Yonsei Baro is closed on Sundays, Wednesdays, public holidays and evenings outside clinic hours. At those times, go to a hospital emergency room, phoning ahead if you can. Call 119 for a head injury, vomiting, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or breathing trouble; English interpretation is available.
Can an injury to a baby tooth affect the adult tooth?
Sometimes. Baby-tooth roots sit close to the developing permanent teeth, so a hard knock can occasionally affect the adult tooth’s colour, shape or timing, and an injured baby tooth may darken weeks later. Follow-up visits let the dentist monitor both teeth.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ho-seon Lee
Board-certified pediatric dentist (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare) · Director of Pediatric Dentistry · Last updated October 2026
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Every child is different; your child's dentist will recommend care after an examination. In an emergency involving breathing, heavy bleeding, a head injury or facial swelling spreading toward the eye or neck, call 119.
Dental injury? Call us before you come
Phone or message us with a photo and we will advise on next steps. Isu Station Exit 2, Seoul · Contact us for pediatric dentistry appointment times.