What to Do If You Knock Out a Tooth

If you just broke a tooth or have knocked out a tooth this is a dental emergency. This happens at all ages but is very common with children and sports. Preparing yourself with knowing the steps to take greatly increases your chances of saving the tooth until you can be seen by your dentist.

Steps to take when you knock out a tooth

When you know what to do and can act quickly, you improve your odds of repairing the natural tooth. If you have knocked out a tooth or broken off pieces of a tooth, collect the tooth and gently rinse it, but don’t scrub. Then try to reinsert the tooth into the socket, this may not be possible because of swelling or pain, don’t force it if it hurts. 

Another option is to place the tooth into the pocket of your cheek if there is no risk of choking until you can get to your dentist. For a young child, this wouldn’t be the safest choice. The third option is to place the tooth in a glass of milk and head to your dental appointment as soon as possible. 

What to do if you broke off a piece of tooth

A broken tooth can also be preserved in a glass of milk until you can be seen your dentist. Collect the shards of broken tooth then store in a glass of milk and seek an emergency dental appointment. 

What to expect at the dental office

The dentist will likely order Xrays to assess the extent of damage, if it is a piece of a broken tooth it will likely be bonded back in place and maybe secured with a temporary wire. If the entire tooth was knocked out, the dentist may try to reinsert the tooth into the socket and hold it into place with a temporary wire, with the hope the tooth will reattach to the socket. 

It is not a guarantee, but the sooner you can preserve the tooth and get to the dentist the greater the chance of success. 

Conclusion

It can be very disheartening to lose or break a tooth but with quick action, it is possible to save a tooth. Rinsing off the tooth and storing it in your mouth is best or in a glass of milk until you can be seen will increase the likelihood of success. If you or a family member in the Salem MA area has a dental emergency, please contact our office (978) 741-1640. If you are an existing patient and this happened after hours please call this number (978) 219-9760.