A stick, a ball or a collision on the field can crack, loosen or dislodge a tooth in a second. From Burlington, call us right after the injury, tell us how and when it happened, and ask about assessment. A knocked-out adult tooth needs emergency dental care without delay.
Sport is one of the most common settings for dental injuries, though a slip at home or a fall from a bike can do the same damage. Teeth may chip, shift, crack below the gumline or come out completely. Lips, cheeks and gums can be cut, and some of what has happened won’t be visible from the sideline.
Call promptly once the player is safe. Tell us what happened, the time, and whether the tooth is a baby or permanent tooth if you know. Coaches and parents should also mention any blow to the head. A suspected concussion, a serious face or jaw injury, or heavy bleeding means hospital assessment comes before dental care.
The phone call decides what happens next and whether an appointment is available. An online message is too slow when a tooth has just been injured. When we can’t answer or can’t see the player right away, turn to another emergency dental provider, and treat a knocked-out permanent tooth as the most urgent case.
Note the time of the hit and what was done on the spot. If a tooth or fragment is missing, say so; it isn’t safe to assume it fell onto the turf or ice.
Get to emergency dental care now. Hold it by the crown, the white chewing part, and avoid the root. If it’s dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or saline; no scrubbing or wiping. If you’re sure it is permanent and the player is able, gently set it back and have them bite on clean gauze. Otherwise, carry it in milk.
Don’t replant a baby tooth. When you can’t tell which kind it is, keep it in a container of milk and get immediate professional advice. Never have a child hold the tooth in their mouth on the way, because it could be swallowed or inhaled.
Phone soon and describe how the tooth has moved, how the teeth now meet and how it feels. Ask the player not to keep testing it, and don’t force it into line. Gather any broken pieces into milk. Ask where the injury should be seen and mention other symptoms.
Dial 911 or get to a hospital emergency department if the player struggles to breathe, bleeds heavily without letting up, has a serious facial or jaw injury, or shows head-injury signs such as being knocked out, vomiting or seeing double.
The first appointment should explain the injury as clearly as the findings allow and deal with anything that shouldn’t wait. Ask which teeth and soft tissues were involved and how they’re being protected. A small fracture is managed very differently from a tooth that was displaced or put back in its socket.
It should also be upfront about the unknowns. Some consequences of a dental injury only show up at later checks, so a tooth that feels normal after the first visit hasn’t finished its recovery. You should know the reason for each review and the number to ring if anything shifts before then.
Patient information: American Association of Endodontists — updated trauma guidance and ongoing monitoring
When and how the injury happened, the tooth’s position and the first aid used can all guide decisions. Share what you saw and leave out guesses. If a team trainer, walk-in clinic or hospital saw the player first, bring any notes or tell us who was involved.
A baby tooth, a young permanent tooth still forming its root, and a fully developed adult tooth can need different care. Ask how this changes the recommendation. Two players with similar chips may not be offered the same treatment.
Ask what later appointments will check and whether the plan might shift. Reviews follow healing and can reveal complications that weren’t evident on the day. They deserve attention before the conversation becomes only about appearance.
Based on the injury, the first visit may include assessment, stabilization, treatment or referral. Ask what needs doing today and which decisions are better made once more is known.
Tell the dentist when the injury happened, how, and any first aid or earlier treatment. Add anything still missing, plus health conditions, current medicines and allergies. If the player was checked for concussion or other injuries, share what was found.
Expect a close look at the injury and, where indicated, X-rays or other tests. Ask which teeth will be monitored, including ones beside the injury that look fine. If a specialist or a different setting is recommended, ask for the reason.
Go through the proposed care, pain control, other options and fees. Depending on what’s found, treatment may protect a fracture, reposition or splint a tooth, or set up further care. Ask whether the first result is temporary and what could be needed later.
Confirm the cleaning, eating, activity and review instructions for the injury and treatment. Note who to call if a problem comes up. Keep the review dates where everyone can see them, particularly when a parent, coach and more than one clinician are all involved.
There’s no single recovery routine. What happens at home is shaped by the kind of injury, whose tooth it is and what was done in the chair, so a splint, a bonded chip and a hurt baby tooth may all run on different timelines.
Get specific guidance on brushing near the injury or splint, and on foods and training to pause. Biting into something firm or wiggling the tooth to see how it’s doing isn’t a useful test. Phone the team if any step proves awkward or a part feels loose.
Pain that builds rather than fades, swelling, pus, or teeth that no longer meet the way they did are all worth a call. Have the injury date and treatment details ready. You’ll hear whether to wait for the booked review or come in earlier.
Hold on to a copy of what was done on day one in case another clinician gets involved later. If the league, school, employer or insurer needs a form, ask for it. Those papers help with continuity; the reviews themselves are about whether the tooth is healing.
For a new injury, pick up the phone, and use emergency services when the situation calls for it. The answers below help with planning; only an examination of the player and their teeth can guide treatment.
Call our Bronte Street office as soon as a tooth is injured and ask about assessment availability. Give the time of the hit and anything that’s different since. If urgent care is needed and you can’t reach us, go to another available emergency dental provider.
Online forms are for non-urgent enquiries only. How the injury is managed, any referral or follow-up, costs, and whether the tooth can be saved are decided at assessment; no treatment result or immediate appointment is guaranteed.
