Dental emergencies can happen to both children and adults, and the actions to take are dependent on the age of the person experiencing the emergency.

Although dental injuries and dental emergencies are often distressing for both children and parents, they are also extremely common – especially for children. In fact, approximately one-third of children have experienced some type of dental trauma, and more have experienced a dental emergency.

There are two peak risk periods for youth dental trauma – the first being toddlerhood (18-40 months) when environmental exploration begins, and the second being the preadolescent/adolescent period, when sporting injuries become commonplace.

The most common dental emergencies are detailed below. Click on any of these to read more, including helpful advice on how to best handle each situation.