When your child's tooth takes a hard knock

What do you do when your four-year-old takes a header into the edge of a table and knocks a front baby tooth loose?

Give your dentist a call. More often than not, you'll be advised to put your child on a soft diet for the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours to allow the tooth to firm up. The dentist may also suggest you bring the child in for an x-ray, to determine whether or not damage has been done to a nerve or to a secondary tooth.

If the tooth has fallen out, just put it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy to retrieve. Losing one or more front baby teeth may give the child a temporary lisp, but no permanent effect on speech development—or on eating—will result.

If your child seems to have a more serious injury than a loose tooth, go to your local hospital so a physician can check the face, mouth and gums.

If a permanent tooth is knocked completely out, call your dentist immediately for an emergency appointment. It is critical to get the child and the tooth to the dentist within 30 minutes of the accident, as it may be possible to successfully reimplant the tooth. If possible, gently place the tooth back in its socket as a means of transport. Otherwise, place it in enough milk, salt water or saliva to cover the tooth. If none of these are available, use plain tap water. You may also place the tooth between the cheek and gum (unless the patient is a young child who may swallow it.)

Read more on dental emergencies.