What To Do If Your Tooth Is Knocked Out
Knocked-out teeth are commonly the result of an impact to the jaw or face.
If you are dealing with knocked-out teeth, take the following steps:
1. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (don’t touch the root).
As soon as your tooth is knocked out, attempt to retrieve it. When picking it up, only touch the crown, which is the part that is exposed when it's in your mouth.
2. If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it.
Use only water to rinse any debris or dirt from the tooth. Avoid using chemicals or soap. Do not scrub or dry the tooth, or wrap it in cloth or tissue, as any of these actions may result in damage.
3. Place the tooth back in its socket if possible.
If you can, put your tooth back into its socket immediately. You can try to gently push it in (continuing to touch the crown only, not the root). Another option is to try positioning it above the socket.
Close your mouth slowly to push it in. Using a finger, hold the tooth in place. You might also bite down on it.
4. Make sure your tooth remains moist.
If the tooth won't go back into its socket, you'll need to get creative to keep it moist, until your dentist can take a look. Place it in a cup of milk, or keep it in your mouth next to your cheek. Avoid storing it in regular tap water, as the root surface cells will not be able to tolerate water for an extended period of time.
Using this method of preserving a tooth may increase the likelihood of your dentist being able to replace it.
5. Get to the dentist within 30 minutes of the injury.
Ideally, you should go to your dentist’s office within 30 minutes of losing any teeth. However, it may still be possible for your dentist to save a tooth if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.
How can I prepare for a dental emergency at home?
Dental emergencies can happen any time of the day or night. There are some things you can do at home to prepare in case you experience one.
Keep these things around the house at all times, as they are handy to have in a dental emergency:
- Over-the-counter painkiller (such as ibuprofen)
- Ice pack
- Small container with lid to preserve a knocked out tooth
- Gauze
- The phone number of our Mill Woods dentist’s office
Type "dentist near me" into your favourite search engine, and our information will likely come up. As soon as you feel safe and are able to call our office, do so. We will make room in our schedule to see you as soon as possible.