Know who to contact for an urgent mouth or dental problem.
Start with the emergency warning below. It separates medical emergencies
from problems that need urgent dental care.
Urgent dental care
Contact a dentist urgently
Contact a dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service for a
knocked-out tooth; a permanent tooth moved out of place; a knocked-out or
displaced primary tooth; severe, worsening, or persistent dental pain;
localized swelling or fever with dental pain or swelling; or fresh
post-procedure bleeding that continues despite the treating team’s instructions.
A broken or loose tooth after an injury also needs dental advice. Describe what
happened so the dental team can determine how quickly it should be assessed.
Use the emergency-medical instructions above if any emergency warning sign is
also present.
Situation guidance
Clear first steps and care destinations.
Swelling or fever
What to do
Contact a dentist for swelling near a tooth or gum, or fever with dental pain or swelling. Report where the swelling is and whether it is spreading.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
When
Urgently when no emergency-medical warning sign is present.
Get emergency medical help if
Breathing, speaking, or swallowing is difficult; swelling is severe or spreading across the face, jaw, or neck; or an eye is painful or vision changes.
Bleeding from the mouth
What to do
Apply steady direct pressure with clean gauze or cloth.
Who to contact
Contact a dentist or urgent-dental service if bleeding persists but remains controlled.
Get emergency medical help if
Bleeding is heavy and will not stop, breathing becomes difficult, the bleeding follows a serious injury, or alertness changes. Do not delay the emergency call to complete a timed pressure attempt.
Knocked-out permanent tooth
What to do
Contact a dentist immediately. Pick up the tooth by the crown—the part normally visible in the mouth—not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, saline, or the injured person’s saliva. Keep it in milk or saline and bring it to the dentist.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
When
Immediately, even if the tooth cannot be found.
Avoid
Do not touch or scrub the root. Do not let the tooth dry.
Get emergency medical help if
There was a serious head or face injury, breathing difficulty, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, or a neurological warning sign listed above.
Primary-tooth injury
What to do
Contact a dentist after a primary (baby) tooth is knocked out, moved, or broken. For a knocked-out primary tooth, contact the dentist urgently and find and bring the tooth if possible.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
When
Urgently for a knocked-out primary tooth. For other injuries, describe what happened so the dental team can determine the timing.
Avoid
Do not put a knocked-out primary tooth back in.
Get emergency medical help if
The child has a serious head or face injury, trouble breathing, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, unusual behavior, a seizure, weakness, or difficulty waking.
Permanent tooth moved out of place
What to do
Contact a dentist urgently if a permanent tooth has moved out of position after an injury.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
Get emergency medical help if
The tooth could block the airway, the injury may involve the face or jaw, bleeding will not stop, or a neurological warning sign is present.
Loose permanent tooth after an injury
What to do
Contact a dentist and describe how loose the tooth is and how the injury happened. The dental team can tell you how quickly it should be assessed.
Who to contact
A dentist or local urgent-dental service.
Get emergency medical help if
The tooth could block the airway or there is serious facial trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, or a neurological warning sign.
Broken or fractured tooth
What to do
Contact a dentist after an injury. Describe the damage, pain, and how the injury happened so the dental team can determine the timing.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
Get emergency medical help if
There is serious facial or jaw trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, breathing difficulty, or a neurological warning sign.
Cut lip, tongue, or mouth
What to do
Apply steady pressure with clean gauze or cloth.
Who to contact
Contact a dentist or urgent-dental service if bleeding persists but remains controlled.
Get emergency medical help if
Bleeding is heavy and will not stop, breathing becomes difficult, the injury is serious, or alertness changes.
Serious face or head injury
What to do
Go to an emergency department now for a serious face or jaw injury. Call emergency services when emergency transport is needed.
Who to contact
Emergency medical services or an emergency department—not a dental office alone.
When
Now.
Call emergency services now if
There is loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, increasing confusion, unusual behavior, a seizure, weakness or numbness, slurred speech, unequal pupils, a worsening headache, or inability to wake.
Severe or worsening dental pain
What to do
Contact a dentist and describe when the pain started, whether it is worsening, and whether there is swelling, fever, or trauma.
Who to contact
A dentist, emergency dentist, or local urgent-dental service.
When
Urgently if pain is severe, worsening, affecting sleep or daily activities, or not going away.
Get emergency medical help if
Pain occurs with breathing or swallowing difficulty, severe or spreading swelling, or eye pain or vision changes.
Bleeding after a dental procedure
What to do
Follow the written instructions from the team that performed the procedure.
Who to contact
Contact that dental team or an urgent-dental service if fresh bleeding continues despite the instructed pressure steps.
When
Urgently when the team’s instructions do not control the bleeding.
Avoid
Do not replace procedure-specific instructions with general online advice.
Get emergency medical help if
Bleeding is heavy and will not stop, breathing becomes difficult, you faint, or alertness decreases.
Before you call
Share the details that help care teams respond.
If it does not delay emergency action, be ready to say when the problem or injury
began, what changed, where pain or swelling is located, whether there was trauma or
recent dental treatment, and whether there is fever, bleeding, breathing or
swallowing difficulty, or a change in alertness.
Sources and transparency
Evidence used for this guidance
Oral Compass checked these public sources on July 21, 2026. This page is
evidence-aware general education.