Accidents happen, but when you knock out a tooth, you can quickly start to panic. Whether you’ve experienced a sports injury, a fall, or an unexpected blow, it’s important to know what to do in order to preserve the tooth. Follow this step-by-step guide to improve your chances of saving your smile.

Step 1: Stay Calm and Assess the Situation

The most important step in any emergency situation is to remain calm. It’s easy to panic when you knock out a tooth, but that will make it harder to take the necessary steps.

And while you may be scared about your tooth, make sure you check for other injuries and, if needed, seek medical attention for serious wounds before you address the injury to your smile.

Step 2: Locate the Tooth

After assessing yourself for other injuries, find the knocked-out tooth as soon as possible. Handle it carefully —  only picking it up by the crown (the white, top part) and never the root. Touching the root can damage the delicate tissue needed to put the tooth back successfully. 

Step 3: Rinse Gently If Necessary

If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently with milk, water, or saliva. You can rinse it quickly with water, but milk or saliva are better options for preserving the delicate tooth surface. Avoid scrubbing or wiping the tooth, as this can remove important cells necessary for reattachment.

Step 4: Try to Reinsert the Tooth

If possible, carefully push the tooth back into its socket; ensure you only touch the crown. Hold it in place with your fingers or by lightly biting down on a clean cloth or gauze. If you have a mouthguard, you can use that to help you keep the tooth in place. This step won’t help you reattach the tooth, but it will give it the best chance of survival. If reinserting isn’t an option, move on to step 5.

Note: A baby tooth should not be reinserted, as this could damage the permanent one underneath the gumline. The baby tooth could fuse to the bone and cause problems when it’s time to fall out and affect the growth of the adult tooth. 

Step 5: Keep the Tooth Moist

If you can’t reinsert the tooth, you need to keep it moist in order to keep it viable. 

You can store it in your mouth, between your cheek and gum. This should only be done if you are conscious and can safely hold it there without the chance of accidentally swallowing it. If you can’t store it in your mouth, place it in some milk or use a tooth preservation kit if you have one.

Avoid storing the tooth in regular tap water; your tooth can’t tolerate staying in water for extended periods of time. It could damage its delicate root surface and ruin the chance of preservation. 

Step 6: Get to a Dentist Immediately

A knocked-out tooth has the best chance of being saved if reimplanted within 30 to 60 minutes. Visit an emergency dentist or the nearest dental office as soon as possible after you knock out a tooth for professional care.

A dentist will ensure the tooth is positioned correctly and possibly take an X-ray. They may also need to numb the area, so they can move the tooth freely. 

Step 7: Follow Up on Dental Care

Even if the tooth is successfully reinserted, make sure you attend any follow-up appointments.  Your dentist may recommend wearing a splint on either side of the tooth for a few weeks to stabilize it, and further treatments like root canals may be necessary.

Preventing Future Dental Injuries

To reduce the risk of knocking out a tooth —

• Wear a well-fitting mouth guard when playing sports. For the best protection, you or your child should get a mouth guard custom-fitted at a professional dental office. 

• Avoid chewing on hard foods or non-food objects, such as ice or pens. You should also avoid using your teeth as tools to open or tear packaging. 

• Be mindful of your surroundings and take appropriate precautions to prevent falls, especially for young children and older adults.

• Practice good dental hygiene and attend routine dental visits to keep your teeth healthy and free from gum disease. Gum disease can make your teeth weaker and more susceptible to being knocked out if you get in an accident.
  

Don’t Panic When You Knock Out a Tooth

A knocked-out tooth may be one of the most serious dental emergencies, but quick and proper action can increase the chances of saving it. Just carefully and gently handle the tooth, keep it moist, and get to a dentist as soon as possible, and you can save your smile.