What to Do If You Knock Out a Tooth

If you ever knock out a tooth, time is of the essence to get dental treatment. Whether you’ve you got a bang to the mouth on the sports field for took a tumble off your bicycle, a broken up, banged tooth can often be fixed by an Emergency Dental work.  

Your dentist can put a tooth back in the socket and resolve any pain and discomfort from your ordeal, but time is of the essence, and you must keep the tooth, of course! 

Knock Out a Tooth? Here’s What You Should Do 

Losing a tooth can be a traumatic experience. Whether you’ve got a child whose tooth has fallen out or if a permanent tooth is knocked out, it is essential to find the tooth, contact an emergency dentist, and seek first aid as soon as possible. 

Emergency dentists can usually place the broken tooth back inside of your mouth and apply splinting to restore the bond. Waiting too long when a permanent tooth has been knocked out can render it impossible to place the tooth back inside your mouth and lead to significant pain, discomfort, and swelling. Moreover, the only remaining solutions may be the extraction of the remaining tooth or the installation of a dental crown. 

Whether your front tooth was knocked out of place or you’ve got multiple front teeth knocked loose and you need to know what to do, the below tips should help to resolve your trauma and restore your teeth quickly and with minimal pain.

 

How to Save a Knocked-Out Tooth: Essential First Steps 

The first things you should do if you knock out a tooth are: 

• Apply first aid to reduce bleeding; 

• Find the broken tooth and pick it up by the crown (not the root); 

• Either lick the tooth clean or place it under cold water for up to 10 seconds at most; 

• Try to place the tooth back in your mouth, if it fits; 

• OR: put the tooth in a small container with your own saliva or milk; 

• Contact an emergency dentist to replace the tooth. 

 

For baby teeth, please refrain from trying to place the tooth back in the mouth and instead use saliva/milk in a container. Toddlers and young children may choke on the tooth and doing this may interfere with the growth of the adult tooth underneath. 

 

Why Timing Matters in Saving a Knocked-Out Tooth 

A knocked out tooth is an emergency and you should seek assistance as soon as possible. Dental emergencies are not typically covered by Ireland’s public dental service schemes except in some situations for children, so you should seek private emergency dental treatment from an emergency dentist. 

Timing is important because the longer you wait, the more pain and discomfort you will likely feel due to the exposed roots and nerves of your remaining tooth. Moreover, waiting too long can make it difficult or impossible for a dentist to splint the tooth back together and form a bond. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What happens if you knock out a tooth? 

If you knock out a tooth, the nerve endings may be exposed and cause enormous sensitivity and pain. A knocked out tooth can usually be replaced so long as action is taken immediately, since the longer one waits the harder it may be to replace the tooth. 

Can a knocked-out tooth be saved? 

A knocked-out tooth can usually be saved so long as you take precautions such as storing the broken tooth in your mouth or in a container with milk or saliva, transporting it safely to an emergency dentist, and letting the dentist splint the tooth back in place properly. 

How do you keep a knocked-out tooth alive? 

A knocked-out tooth should be kept in saliva or milk since these contain proteins and sugars that help to keep the tooth “alive” long enough to be splinted back into the socket without much issue. Replacing the tooth in the socket yourself is usually the best solution. 

Can you clean it with water? 

You should clean your broken tooth either under cold running water or with your tongue, but avoid washing it for too long and do not store the tooth in water since water may lead to the cells on the tooth’s root swelling and bursting. 

Can a tooth be stored in milk? 

A broken tooth can be stored in a container or small bag filled with milk. Milk contains proteins that provide the tooth with essential acids, antibacterials, and sugars that help to keep the broken tooth “alive.” Milk is a good substitute for placing the tooth back in its socket, particularly if it’s difficult to do so or if it’s a child’s tooth. 

How can I safely transport a tooth to an emergency dentist? 

The safest ways to transport a broken tooth to an emergency dentist are to place it back in your mouth in the socket or to keep it stored in a small container filled with saliva or milk. If you feel unsafe with the broken tooth in your mouth (e.g. risk of swallowing), consider using saliva or milk instead. 

Can a baby tooth be reinserted? 

Reinserting a baby tooth is generally not ideal since it may interfere with the natural growth of the baby’s adult teeth. Depending on the circumstances, an emergency dentist may – instead of reinserting the tooth – provide treatment to keep surrounding teeth aligned, eliminate risks of infection, and to stimulate the healthy growth of adult teeth underneath. 

How does a dentist fix a knocked out tooth? 

A dentist typically fixes a knocked out tooth by reinserting it into the socket, cleaning and disinfecting it as necessary, and aligning the crown with the surrounding teeth. To hold the tooth in place, the dentist normally uses a splint to stabilise the tooth. Splinting is generally needed for around two weeks while the tooth bonds with the bone underneath. 

How long does a knocked-out tooth take to heal? 

A knocked-out tooth that has been reinserted by an emergency dentist will normally take around two weeks to heal with the use of splinting. Afterwards, the splint can be removed since the tooth should have formed a sufficient bond with the bone. Consult your dentist for follow-up treatment if you feel that your tooth is not bonding properly. 

Should you go to the ER for a knocked out tooth? 

In Ireland, you should always contact an emergency dentist for a knocked-out tooth rather than present yourself to a hospital emergency room. Your preferred dentist and many other private emergency dental clinics in Cork and elsewhere in Ireland provide immediate assistance for knocked out teeth. 

If you have experienced severe trauma or if there is excessive bleeding, you should visit your ER instead. 

Does a knocked out tooth need a root canal? 

Knocked out teeth sometimes require a root canal if the tooth’s structure is damaged or if the reinserted tooth cannot properly form a sufficient bond, e.g. the pulp has begun to die. The longer one waits to reinsert a broken tooth with an emergency dentist, the higher the chances are that root canal treatment will be necessary. 

Contact Bandon Dental for Emergency Dental Treatment 

Have you or someone you know suffered from a knocked-out tooth? Bandon Dental provides emergency dental treatment in Cork and we encourage you to contact us today for immediate, professional treatment for your broken tooth. Also, please note that in some cases, a knocked-out tooth may require root canal treatment, and we are happy to provide this service to our clients.