A knocked-out tooth, a sudden toothache at bedtime, a fall on the playground that leaves a chipped front tooth. Dental emergencies rarely happen at a convenient time, and when your child is in pain or scared, you need to know exactly where to turn.
At Mission Peak Pediatric Dentistry, we treat dental emergencies as a priority for Fremont families, because we know how stressful these moments can be. Dr. Michael Wang and our team are trained to move quickly and calmly, and when a tooth needs more than urgent stabilization, we’re also equipped to handle the restorative side, including pediatric dental crowns, so your child’s smile is fully cared for from the first call to full recovery.
Not every dental issue requires an emergency visit, but some situations should never wait. A knocked-out permanent tooth, a tooth that’s been pushed out of position, uncontrolled bleeding in the mouth, or a severe toothache that won’t ease with over-the-counter pain relief all call for prompt attention. Chipped or cracked teeth, especially if a child is in pain or a sharp edge is bothering their tongue or cheek, also warrant a same-day look, because a delay can sometimes turn a simple fix into a more involved procedure.
According to a 2025 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health, traumatic dental injuries affect a substantial share of children worldwide, with global estimates showing roughly one in five children experiencing some form of dental trauma to their permanent teeth. Falls remain the most common cause, followed by sports and everyday collisions during play, and injuries tend to peak during the very years when kids are the most active and least cautious. Knowing the warning signs and reaching out the moment they appear gives your child’s tooth the best chance at a full recovery, because the amount of time between an injury and treatment often makes a real difference in the outcome.
If your child knocks out a permanent tooth, time matters. Pick the tooth up by the crown, never the root, and try to place it back in the socket if your child can tolerate it. If that’s not possible, keep the tooth in milk or your child’s saliva until you can get to our office. Do not scrub or clean the tooth, because this can damage the delicate root surface.
For a chipped or cracked tooth, rinse your child’s mouth gently with warm water and apply a cold compress to any swelling. If a baby tooth is knocked out, note we generally do not replant primary teeth, because doing so can risk the developing permanent tooth underneath, but you should still call us so we can check for any additional damage.
We know an emergency visit is already a stressful moment for both you and your child, so we focus on making the experience as calm as possible from the moment you walk in. Our team talks through each step in age-appropriate language, and for children who are especially anxious or in significant discomfort, we also offer sedation dentistry to help them stay comfortable during treatment. We would rather take a few extra minutes to help your child feel safe than rush through a procedure while they are frightened.
Once the immediate issue is addressed, we also look at the bigger picture of your child’s oral health. Many dental emergencies are easier to prevent with consistent preventive dentistry visits, because regular checkups let us catch weak spots, like a tooth already compromised by decay, before an everyday bump turns into a bigger problem. We will also talk with you about what led to the emergency, so you leave with a clearer sense of how to help protect your child’s smile going forward.
We understand families throughout Fremont, including those near Mission San Jose and Irvington, need a pediatric dentist they can count on when something goes wrong unexpectedly. Whether the emergency happens during a weekend soccer game, right before school starts, or in the middle of the night, our goal is to get your child seen quickly and treated with the same gentle approach we bring to every visit, so an already difficult moment doesn’t feel any more overwhelming than it has to.
Being prepared ahead of time helps too. Save our office number in your phone so you’re not searching for it during a stressful moment, and if your child plays contact sports, ask us about a properly fitted mouthguard at their next routine visit, because this simple step can meaningfully lower the risk of a dental injury during play. A little preparation now can spare your family a lot of worry later.
Dr. Wang’s pediatric residency training and board certification through the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry mean your child is in experienced hands during even the most stressful dental emergencies. Our team understands these situations call for both clinical skill and a reassuring presence, and we bring both to every urgent visit.
If your child is experiencing a dental emergency, don’t wait to reach out. Contact our office right away so we can help get your child out of pain and back to smiling.
Knocked-out baby teeth are not usually replaced, even if they’re lost prematurely. If it’s a baby tooth, your child will need to come into our Fremont office to have their mouth examined and cleaned to prevent infection, and to get a “space maintainer.” This prosthetic will maintain the proper gap between their teeth, preventing the adjacent teeth from shifting toward the now-empty socket.
For an adult tooth, though, you need to get help immediately. Recover the tooth, rinse it, and put it in a container of cold milk to keep it moist. Then, come to our office immediately. Don’t spend too much time treating pain or bleeding. Your child’s tooth must be re-attached within 1-2 hours for it to be saved, so time is of the essence. We can treat your child’s pain when they get to our office.
Collect the filling, crown, or other piece of dental work and place it in a plastic baggie. Then, call us for a same-day appointment, and make sure to bring your child’s dental work in with you. It may be possible to reattach a crown instead of completely replacing it
A severe toothache could indicate that your child has a deep cavity or an infected tooth. You should schedule a consultation at our office in Fremont right away, as these are both serious dental emergencies that will only get worse without proper treatment.
If a baby tooth has come loose and it’s not due to an oral injury, you don’t have to do anything. Baby teeth are meant to fall out eventually, so this is natural.
However, if one of their teeth becomes loose and is bleeding after an oral injury, it may not be ready to fall out yet. The best thing to do is to get a consultation with Dr. Michael to have their mouth examined, and determine whether the tooth can be saved or if it should be replaced with a space maintainer.
