A child's dental emergency in Beirut: what to do first.
For a knocked-out permanent tooth, the window is 30 to 60 minutes. Pick the tooth up by the crown and never the root, put it back in the socket if you can, and if you cannot, keep it in milk and get to a dentist immediately. A knocked-out baby tooth is different and is never put back, because replanting it can damage the permanent tooth forming above it.
The first minutes, by what happened
Find the situation that matches, do the thing in it, then call. The order matters more than the speed of the phone call.
30 to 60 minutes
Permanent tooth knocked out
Hold it by the crown. If dirty, rinse briefly in milk or saline, never tap water, and never scrub it. Reinsert it into the socket and have the child bite gently on clean gauze. If you cannot, keep it submerged in milk. Get seen within the hour.
Same day
Baby tooth knocked out
Do not put it back. Pressure with clean gauze until the bleeding stops, then a cold compress. Still have the child seen, so the socket and the permanent tooth bud underneath can be checked.
Today, or soon
Broken or chipped tooth
Keep any fragment in milk. If the break bleeds, shows a pink dot in the middle, or hurts sharply with cold air, the nerve is exposed and it needs seeing today. A painless chip in enamel needs an appointment, not an emergency.
Call when we open
Severe toothache
The child's usual weight-appropriate painkiller and a cold compress on the cheek. Warm salt water if they can rinse and spit. Never hold aspirin or any tablet against the gum, and no teething gel for toothache.
What not to do, and when to go to hospital instead
Do not scrub a knocked-out tooth, store it in water, or let it dry out: the cells on the root surface are what allow it to reattach, and all three destroy them. Do not replant a baby tooth. Do not force a displaced tooth back into position yourself. Do not put aspirin against the gum, which burns the tissue. Lumident is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 7:00pm, so call 01 34 23 33 or message the pediatric department within those hours. Outside them, a knocked-out permanent tooth will not wait for morning and should go straight to a hospital emergency department, as should any facial injury with heavy bleeding, a possible broken jaw, or a child who was knocked unconscious.
Who sees urgent cases
The Pediatric department
Pediatric Dentistry
Urgent children's cases are handled by the pediatric department, which has worked exclusively with children since the clinic opened in 2010. Visits stay paced around the child even when the reason for them is not calm, and a frightened child in pain is treated as the normal case rather than the difficult one.
Questions parents ask in an emergency
Short answers first; anything specific to your teeth comes from a consultation.
My child knocked out a permanent tooth. What do I do?
Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root, and if it is dirty rinse it briefly in milk or saline, not tap water, and do not scrub it. Put it back in the socket if you can and have your child bite gently on a clean cloth, otherwise keep it in milk. Then get to a dentist immediately: the window is 30 to 60 minutes.
My child knocked out a baby tooth. Should I put it back?
No. A baby tooth is never replanted, because pushing it back can damage the permanent tooth developing in the gum above it. Control the bleeding with gentle pressure on clean gauze and have the child seen so the area and the permanent tooth bud can be checked.
How do I know if a chipped tooth is an emergency?
If the broken surface is bleeding, shows a pink or red dot in the middle, or the tooth is painful to air and cold, the nerve is exposed and it needs seeing the same day. A small chip in enamel with no pain still needs an appointment, but not an urgent one. Keep any broken fragment in milk.
What can I give a child with severe toothache at night?
The child's usual weight-appropriate painkiller, a cold compress against the cheek, and a rinse with warm salt water if they are old enough to rinse and spit. Never place aspirin or any tablet against the gum, and do not use teething gels for a toothache. Call the department when it opens.
My child's tooth was pushed loose or out of position. Is that urgent?
Yes, see a dentist the same day. Do not try to force the tooth back into position yourself. Keep the child on soft food and avoid biting on that side until it has been assessed.
How do I reach Lumident with an urgent problem?
Call 01 34 23 33 or message the pediatric department on WhatsApp so the next step is directed quickly. The clinic is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 7:00pm. Outside those hours, a knocked-out permanent tooth cannot wait and should go to a hospital emergency department.
Something has happened and you are not sure how urgent it is
Message the pediatric department with a photo and what happened. You will get told whether this needs to be seen now, today, or at the next routine visit.
