An adult tooth has been knocked out. What do I do?
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the white part, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Then put it straight back into the socket if you can, and go to a dentist immediately.
If it cannot go back in, keep it in milk. Milk is better than water, because plain water damages the cells on the root surface that the tooth needs in order to reattach.
Do not scrub it, do not wrap it in tissue, and do not let it dry out. Those three mistakes are what usually cost the tooth.
How quickly does it need to be seen?
As fast as possible. The chance of saving the tooth falls sharply with time out of the socket, and the first hour matters most.
Call ahead so the clinic is ready when you arrive rather than finding out on arrival.
What about a baby tooth?
A knocked-out baby tooth is not put back. Reimplanting it can damage the adult tooth developing underneath.
The child should still be seen, but the treatment is different. Do not try to push it back in.
The tooth is broken, not knocked out.
Keep any fragment in milk and bring it, because a clean fragment can sometimes be bonded back on.
If the broken surface has a pink or red spot in the middle, the nerve is exposed. That needs seeing quickly rather than waiting to see whether it settles.
There has been a blow to the face and the bite feels wrong.
A bite that suddenly does not meet correctly after an injury can mean a jaw fracture, not only a damaged tooth. That needs assessing properly.
The same goes for numbness of the lip or chin after an injury. Both are worth mentioning specifically when you call.
Common questions
What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
Hold it by the crown and never the root, rinse it briefly in milk or saline if dirty, place it back into the socket if you can, and see a dentist immediately. If it cannot go back, keep it in milk.
Why milk and not water?
Plain water damages the cells on the root surface that the tooth needs in order to reattach. Milk preserves them far better.
How long do I have to save a knocked-out tooth?
The chance of saving it falls sharply with time out of the socket, so the first hour matters most. Go straight away rather than waiting.
Should a knocked-out baby tooth be put back in?
No. Reimplanting a baby tooth can damage the developing adult tooth underneath. The child should still be seen, but the treatment is different.