According to the American Association of Endodontists, approximately 5 million people experience a knocked-out tooth each year. When it happens, it can be frightening, but by acting quickly and calmly, you have a higher chance of saving your tooth. Ultimately, it needs to go back into the socket, but do you have to do this yourself? Continue reading to learn about the steps you should take if you find yourself in this situation.
Why You Should Try to Return Your Knocked-Out Tooth to Its Socket
If you have a knocked-out tooth due to an injury or accident, you can and should attempt to put it back into the socket yourself if at all possible. However, this won’t completely resolve the issue. The tooth won’t be able to stay in place without help. It is only a temporary step to keep your tooth alive for as long as possible until you can get emergency dental attention.
How Should You Handle a Knocked-Out Tooth?
Here are the steps that you should take if you ever have your tooth knocked out.
- Find your tooth. Pick it up by the crown, not the root. You don’t want to cause additional damage to the soft tissues.
- Clean your tooth. If you see any dirt, gently rinse it off with water. You shouldn’t use any soap or other chemicals. You should also avoid scrubbing your tooth or drying it off. Your tooth needs to be moist to stay alive.
- Place your tooth in its socket. Gently push it in with your fingers and hold it in your mouth by softly biting down.
- Keep your tooth moist. If you can’t get the dislodged tooth back into its socket, you will need to keep it from drying out another way. Either keep the tooth in your cheek or place it in a container of milk. You shouldn’t use water because the surface cells of the root are unable to tolerate this for very long.
- See your dentist immediately. You should give your dentist a call to let them know you are coming in. Ideally, you should be seen by your dentist within an hour of the injury. Waiting any longer will significantly reduce your chances of saving your tooth.
Knocking out a tooth can be scary, but by acting quickly and getting to the dental office as soon as you can, you will have your full smile back in no time!
About the Author
Dr. Damon Anderson is an experienced dentist who has been working in the field for more than two decades. He earned his dental doctorate from the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and is committed to continuing education to keep his knowledge and skills sharp. Currently, he is a proud member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and DOCS Education. If you have a knocked-out tooth, Dr. Anderson would be happy to help. For more information or to schedule an appointment at his office in Laguna Niguel, visit his website or call (949) 325-7998.
