Child Dental Emergency in Abbotsford: What Parents Should Do

By the Medora Dental Care team  |  Last updated: October 2026

A fall at the playground. A toothache that wakes your child at 2 a.m. A front tooth that is suddenly gone. A child dental emergency is frightening for kids and parents alike, and it rarely happens at a convenient time. The reassuring part is that what you do in the first few minutes makes the biggest difference, and the steps are simpler than most parents expect.

This guide explains what counts as an emergency, exactly what to do for the most common injuries, when to go to the hospital instead, and how our Abbotsford team helps families who need an emergency dentist for kids. If this is happening right now, read the quick answer below or call us at (604) 746-1295.

Quick answer: what to do in a child dental emergencyStay calm and check your child for a head injury, breathing problems or bleeding that will not stop. Those need the emergency room first. Otherwise, call your dentist right away. Never put a knocked-out baby tooth back in. For a knocked-out permanent tooth, gently place it back in the socket or keep it in cold milk, and get to a dentist immediately.Call Medora Dental Care: (604) 746-1295

What counts as a child dental emergency?

A child dental emergency is any tooth, gum or mouth problem that involves severe pain, uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling, a knocked-out or displaced tooth, or an injury that cannot safely wait for a routine visit. When you are unsure, call. A quick phone call costs nothing, and we can tell you whether to come in now, wait until morning or head to the hospital.

Use this table as a quick triage guide:

Situation	How urgent	What to do first
Knocked-out permanent tooth	Emergency: minutes matter	Put it back in the socket or store it in cold milk. See a dentist immediately.
Knocked-out baby tooth	Same day	Do not put it back in. Control bleeding and call your dentist.
Severe toothache with swelling or fever	Same day	Call us. Go to the ER if swelling spreads or breathing is affected.
Chipped or cracked tooth	Same day, or within 24 hours	Rinse the mouth, save any fragment in milk and call.
Loose or pushed-in tooth after a fall	Same day	Do not wiggle or push it. Call.
Bitten lip, tongue or cheek	Depends on the bleeding	Firm pressure with clean gauze. ER if it will not stop.
Food stuck between teeth	Usually not urgent	Floss gently. Call if it hurts or will not come out.
Head injury with vomiting, drowsiness or confusion	Emergency: ER first	Call 9-1-1 or go to the ER. Dental care comes after.

Not sure where your child’s problem fits? Our guide to the most common dental emergencies explains how dentists sort urgent problems from ones that can wait a day or two.

What to do for the most common child dental emergencies

A knocked-out baby tooth

Do not put a knocked-out baby tooth back in the socket. Reinserting it can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath and raise the risk of infection. Comfort your child, control the bleeding and call your dentist the same day.

• Sit your child upright and have them bite gently on clean gauze or a damp cloth for about 10 minutes to stop the bleeding.
• Hold a cold pack against the cheek for comfort and to limit swelling.
• Look for the tooth, but do not spend long searching. If you cannot find it, tell us when you call, because we may need to check whether it was pushed up into the gum. Coughing or trouble breathing needs the ER.
• Call us the same day so we can check the gum, the neighbouring teeth and the permanent tooth underneath.

Toddlers are especially prone to tooth injuries as they learn to walk, climb and run. After an injury, a baby tooth can slowly turn grey or dark over the following weeks. That can mean the nerve inside was damaged, so book a check even if the tooth looked fine at first.

A knocked-out permanent tooth

A knocked-out permanent tooth is a true dental emergency because it can often be saved if it is replanted quickly. Minutes matter more than hours. Hold the tooth by the crown, put it back in the socket or keep it in cold milk, and get to a dentist immediately.

Permanent teeth begin to appear around age six, so if your child is six or older, treat a lost tooth as possibly permanent unless you are sure it was a baby tooth.

1. Pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part you normally see). Never touch the root.
2. If it is dirty, rinse it very briefly with milk or saline (or cool water if that is all you have). Do not scrub it, and do not use soap or wipes.
3. If your child is old enough and cooperative, gently push the tooth back into the socket the right way round, then have them bite on clean gauze or a cloth to hold it in place.
4. If you cannot put it back in, place it in a small container of cold milk or a tooth-preservation kit. Do not store it in plain water, and do not wrap it in tissue.
5. Call us on the way and go straight to the dentist. If there are any signs of a head injury, go to the ER first.

Not sure whether it is a baby or a permanent tooth? Keep it moist in milk and call us, and we will help you decide over the phone. Do not force a tooth into the socket if your child is distressed or you are unsure of its position.

A chipped, cracked or broken tooth

A chipped tooth with no pain, bleeding or sharp edge can usually be seen within a day or two. A crack, a larger break, or any pain, bleeding or visible pink or red tissue inside the tooth needs same-day care. Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water, save any fragment in milk and call us.

Our articles explain when a chipped tooth is a dental emergency and the immediate steps to take for a broken tooth. Treatment depends on how deep the damage goes. Small chips are often smoothed or bonded, deeper breaks may need a filling or a dental crown, and in a permanent tooth where the nerve is affected, a root canal can often save the tooth. For older children and teens with hairline cracks, see our page on cracked teeth repair.

A loose, shifted or pushed-in tooth

If a tooth looks loose, crooked or pushed up into the gum after a fall, do not try to wiggle it or push it back. Offer a cold pack and soft foods, and call the same day. A tooth driven into the gum can disturb the permanent tooth underneath, so it needs to be checked even when it does not hurt.

A child’s toothache

For a child’s toothache, rinse the mouth with warm water, gently floss to remove trapped food, and hold a cold pack on the outside of the cheek. Never put aspirin on the gum. Call your dentist the same day if the pain is severe, lasts more than a day, or comes with swelling or a fever.

Most toothaches in children come from cavities, so do not wait it out. Decay is more common in young children than many parents expect (see whether cavities are normal in a 4-year-old), and many cavities can be treated with a dental filling. If the pain flares at night, our article on why a toothache is worse at night explains why, and if the pain does not ease with these steps, our tips for severe tooth pain cover what to do until your appointment.

For pain relief, follow the label for your child’s age and weight, or ask a pharmacist or your doctor. Avoid giving aspirin to children, and never use an adult dose.

A pimple-like bump on the gum, a swollen cheek or face, or a fever alongside a toothache points to infection. Call us the same day, and go to the ER if swelling spreads toward the eye or neck or your child struggles to swallow or breathe. A badly infected tooth cannot always be saved, and our infected tooth extraction guide explains what to expect.

A bitten lip, tongue or cheek

Rinse gently, then press clean gauze or a cloth firmly on the wound for about 10 minutes without lifting it to check. A cold pack helps with swelling. Go to the ER if the bleeding does not stop, the cut is deep or gaping, or a lip cut crosses the border where the lip meets the skin.

Something stuck between the teeth

Try gentle flossing. Never use pins, knives or other sharp tools. If the object will not come out, or the gum is sore or swollen, call us.

When should you go to the ER instead of the dentist?

Go to the emergency room or call 9-1-1 when a dental problem comes with a head injury, trouble breathing or swallowing, spreading facial swelling or bleeding that will not stop. The hospital stabilizes your child, and a dentist then provides the dental treatment, so call us as soon as your child is safe.

• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Swelling that spreads toward the eye, neck or throat
• Signs of a concussion: vomiting, unusual drowsiness, confusion or loss of consciousness
• A suspected broken jaw, or a jaw that will not close properly
• Bleeding that does not stop after about 10 minutes of firm pressure
• A deep or gaping cut to the lip, tongue or cheek

In Abbotsford, that means the emergency department at Abbotsford Regional Hospital. If you are unsure whether you need the ER, call 8-1-1 to speak with a nurse through HealthLink BC.

What happens when you call Medora Dental Care

When you call (604) 746-1295, we ask a few quick questions: your child’s age, which tooth is involved, how it happened and whether there was a head injury. That lets us talk you through first aid while you are on the way. We then do our best to see urgent cases as quickly as we can.

You can read how our same-day emergency appointments work, or learn more about our emergency dental care. When your child arrives, we will:

• Examine the teeth, gums, lips and jaw, and take X-rays when needed to check the roots and the permanent teeth below.
• Relieve pain and treat any infection.
• Protect or repair the tooth, which may mean smoothing, bonding, a filling, a crown or, when needed, removal.
• Explain what happened, what to watch for and when to come back.

We are a family dental office that provides pediatric dentistry, so children and parents can be cared for in the same place. If your child is anxious, tell us when you call. We will go at their pace, and you can ask about sedation options where appropriate. You can also meet Dr. Ash and the team before you ever need us.

If something happens while we are closed, follow the first-aid steps above, use 8-1-1 or the ER if you see any red flags, and call us as soon as we open. You will find our current hours on our contact page. If your child needs care beyond what we provide, such as complex facial trauma, we will refer you to the right specialist or hospital team.

What happens after the emergency: follow-up care

A visit is not always the end of the story. After a tooth injury, we may ask you to come back for a recheck. Call us if you notice any of these:

• The tooth turns grey or dark, or looks different from its neighbours
• A pimple-like bump appears on the gum
• Swelling, a bad taste or a fever returns
• The tooth becomes loose, or the pain comes back

Offer soft foods for a few days, brush gently around the area, and avoid contact sports until we say it is safe. If a baby tooth is lost early, we may talk about keeping space for the permanent tooth. When a permanent tooth cannot be saved, replacement options such as dental implants or dental bridges are planned around your child’s age and jaw growth, so the first priority is protecting the space and the surrounding teeth.

How much does a child’s emergency dental visit cost?

The cost depends on what your child needs: an exam and X-rays, pain relief, a repair or a procedure. We aim to explain your options and costs before treatment begins. Many families have dental benefits through work, and some may be eligible for the federal Canadian Dental Care Plan. Eligibility rules change, so check the current requirements and bring your insurance details if you have them. Our team can help you understand what your plan may cover, and if your benefits reset at year end, our guide to using your dental benefits before the deadline can help you plan.

How to prepare for a child dental emergency

• Save our number, (604) 746-1295, in your phone and put it on the fridge.
• Keep a small kit: clean gauze, a small container with a tight lid, a carton of milk or a tooth-preservation kit, a cold pack and dental floss.
• Use a mouthguard for contact sports, skating, scootering and cycling, and ask us about one fitted for your child.
• Keep up with regular checkups so small cavities are fixed before they become toothaches.
• Choose a dentist before you need one. Our parent’s checklist for choosing a pediatric dentist shows what to look for.
• Discourage chewing ice or hard candy, and keep children seated when eating anything on a stick.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a dental emergency for a child?

Severe pain, uncontrolled bleeding, facial swelling, a knocked-out or displaced tooth, and injuries from a fall or blow all count. A chipped tooth without pain or bleeding is less urgent but still worth a prompt check. When in doubt, call your dentist, who can help you decide how quickly your child needs to be seen.

Should I put a knocked-out baby tooth back in?

No. Reinserting a baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth growing beneath it and raise the risk of infection. Control the bleeding with gentle pressure, comfort your child and call your dentist the same day so they can check the area.

How fast do I need to act if a permanent tooth is knocked out?

As fast as you safely can. Replanting within minutes gives the tooth its best chance of survival. Gently place it back in the socket or keep it in cold milk, and go straight to a dentist. If there is any sign of a head injury, go to the ER first.

Can a child’s toothache wait until morning?

Mild pain that settles with rinsing, floss and a cold pack can usually wait until the office opens, and then you should call for an exam. Severe pain, swelling, fever, or trouble breathing or swallowing cannot wait, and swelling that spreads needs the ER.

Is a chipped baby tooth an emergency?

Usually not, if your child has no pain, bleeding or sharp edge. Rinse their mouth, offer soft foods and book a visit within a few days. If the chip is large or painful, shows pink or red tissue, or followed a hard blow, call the same day.

Should I go to the dentist or the ER?

Go to the ER for head injuries, trouble breathing or swallowing, spreading facial swelling, a suspected broken jaw or bleeding that will not stop. For tooth pain, chips, and loose or knocked-out teeth without those red flags, call a dentist first. Call 8-1-1 if you are unsure.

Does Medora Dental Care treat children in an emergency?

Yes. We care for children as well as adults, and we do our best to see urgent cases quickly. Call (604) 746-1295 with your child’s age and what happened, and we will tell you what to do right away and how soon to come in.

Need an emergency dentist for your child in Abbotsford?

Call Medora Dental Care at (604) 746-1295 or visit us at 110-1910 N Parallel Rd, Abbotsford, BC V3G 2C6. You can learn more about Medora Dental Care, or call us to plan your child’s visit.

This article is general information and does not replace professional medical or dental advice. In a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1. Further reading: International Association of Dental Traumatology.