Losing a Tooth at School: What the Nurse Should Do
October 16, 2026
If you work in a school — nurse's office, classroom, playground duty — this one's for you. When a child loses a tooth at school, the adults nearby become the first responders. Here's exactly what to do, from a pediatric dentist who wants that tooth to have its best chance.
The clock matters: a knocked-out permanent tooth has its best chance if a dentist sees it within 30–60 minutes. Everything below is built around that window.
First minute: find it, handle it right
Pick the tooth up by the crown — the white part — never by the root. If it's dirty, rinse it gently under running water. Don't scrub it, and don't dry it with a cloth or tissue. Then drop it into a small container of cold milk — milk keeps the root's living cells alive on the trip to us.
Next: call us, send them fast
Call our office at (212) 561-5303 — say it's a knocked-out tooth at school and you're on the way. We're at 54 Warren St, New York, NY 10007. Send the child with the tooth in milk, and send a note about what happened. If there's uncontrolled bleeding, apply gentle pressure with clean gauze and keep the child calm while you call.
What not to do
Just as important as the right steps: don't scrub the tooth, don't let it dry out, don't wrap it in a tissue, and don't try to reinsert it yourself. Don't have the child hold it in their mouth on the way — a child who's upset can swallow or lose it. And don't wait for the parents to arrive before calling us. The 30–60 minute window is about getting the tooth to a dentist, and every minute of that window counts. Call first, sort out the rest after.
A note for the nurse's office kit
Consider keeping a small sealed container in your kit — the kind you'd use for exactly this. And save our number in your phone now: (212) 561-5303. The parents will thank you, and so will I. A calm adult who knows these three steps — crown not root, rinse don't scrub, milk not dry — can genuinely save a child's tooth.
One more thing: if it's a baby tooth that came out, don't try to put it back — the approach is different. Keep the child comfortable and call us; I'll guide you by phone on what that child needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should the nurse do in the first minute?
Find the tooth, pick it up by the crown (never the root), rinse it gently if dirty — don't scrub — and get it into cold milk. Then call us at (212) 561-5303.
What if the tooth is broken or only a piece came out?
Save every piece you can find, keep the pieces moist in milk, and bring them with the child. Call us and describe what happened — I'll guide you from there.
Should the nurse try to put the tooth back in?
No — the safest move at school is crown-not-root, rinse-don't-scrub, milk-not-dry, and fast transport to us. Call (212) 561-5303 on the way and I'll advise for that specific child.
How do we reach you during school hours?
Call (212) 561-5303 — we're open Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat–Sun 9am–4pm, at 54 Warren St, New York, NY 10007. Save the number in the nurse's office phone now, before you need it.