Emergency Pediatric Dentist in Lower Manhattan: What To Do First

A pediatric dental emergency is an injury or problem with your child's teeth, gums, or mouth that cannot wait: a knocked-out tooth, a tooth pushed out of place, uncontrolled bleeding, a cracked tooth, severe pain, or swelling of the face or gums. When it happens, the clock starts - what you do in the first minutes matters most.

I am Dr. Nina. I run the pediatric practice at Tribeca Dental Studio, at 54 Warren Street in Tribeca. Here is exactly what I tell parents when a dental emergency happens.

What counts as an emergency

The most time-sensitive emergency is a knocked-out permanent tooth - the best chance of saving it is within 30 to 60 minutes. Pick it up by the crown, not the root, rinse it gently without scrubbing, keep it moist in milk, and call us immediately. A knocked-out baby tooth is different: do not reinsert it; call us and we will guide you. Also call for early tooth loss from decay, infection, or trauma, persistent pain, swelling of the gums or face, bleeding that will not stop, or fever with dental pain. I laid out the full first-30-minutes plan before - read it now, before you ever need it.

What to do right away

Stay calm first - your child takes their cues from you. Find the tooth or the broken piece if you can. Handle a knocked-out tooth only by the crown, rinse it gently, keep it moist in milk, and call us at (212) 561-5303. For a broken tooth, save the fragment. Do not wait to see if it gets better on its own when there is swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, or a knocked-out permanent tooth. Those need a dentist promptly.

How we handle emergencies in our office

Everything here runs comfort-first: kid-friendly words, explain-before-we-touch, and we never force a child. An emergency visit starts with an evaluation, not a procedure - before any extraction we evaluate first and consider restorative options, because extraction is never the automatic answer. If a baby tooth is lost early, we watch the space: a space maintainer holds space for the permanent tooth - not move teeth - and not every early loss needs one. At every exam, emergency or routine, we watch airway and mouth-breathing red flags, because how a child breathes shapes how their face and teeth grow.

Downtown's dental office: 54 Warren Street

Lower Manhattan is where many of our patients live and work - the families in the Financial District's converted towers, the folks around Wall Street and the Seaport. Our office sits at the top of the neighborhood at 54 Warren Street, which makes us close enough for urgent visits without crossing the city: the 1, 2, and 3 from Wall Street or Rector Street to Chambers is under ten minutes, and the A and C from Fulton Street is one stop.

Lower Manhattan has the densest concentration of parking garages in the city, including attended ones on Warren and Greenwich Streets within a block of our door. But in a true emergency, the subway is usually faster - street parking is still a gamble.

When to call us

Call (212) 561-5303 right away for a knocked-out tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, persistent pain, swelling, or fever with dental pain. We are at 54 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007 - Monday through Friday 8am-7pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-4pm. Find us on Instagram at @tds4kids. If your child has never seen us: the first visit should happen by the first birthday or when the first tooth appears - a calm visit long before anything hurts.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child's tooth was knocked out. What should I do?

Handle it by the crown, not the root. Rinse it gently without scrubbing, keep it moist in milk, and call us right away at (212) 561-5303 - the best chance of saving a permanent tooth is within 30 to 60 minutes. Do not try to reinsert a knocked-out baby tooth; call us and we will guide you.

My child lost a baby tooth early. Is that an emergency?

Call us so we can evaluate. Early loss can come from decay, infection, or trauma. We evaluate before recommending anything - restorative options come first, and a space maintainer (which holds space, it does not move teeth) is only recommended when it is actually needed. Call sooner if there is persistent pain, swelling, uncontrolled bleeding, or fever.

Do you see dental emergencies on weekends?

Yes. We are open Monday through Friday 8am to 7pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm at 54 Warren Street. When a dental emergency happens, call (212) 561-5303 right away.

Will an emergency visit frighten my child?

We run emergency visits the same way we run every visit: comfort-first, kid-friendly words, explain-before-we-touch, and never force. An upset or scared child gets patience first, treatment second.