A knocked out adult tooth is one of the few dental problems where minutes genuinely count. Handled quickly and correctly, there is a real chance it can be put back and saved.
Act fast
An adult tooth has the best chance of surviving if it goes back in within the hour. A knocked out baby tooth is different: do not try to put it back, as that can damage the adult tooth forming underneath. Take a child to a dentist to be checked instead.
For a knocked out adult tooth
- Pick it up by the crown, the white part you normally see, and never by the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it gently in milk, or very briefly in water. Do not scrub it and do not wrap it in tissue.
- Try to put it back in the socket the right way round, then bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
- If you cannot put it back, keep it in a cup of milk, or hold it inside your cheek if you are old enough not to risk swallowing it. Do not store it in water.
- Get to a dentist straight away.
Where to go
- Phone your own dentist and ask for an emergency slot.
- If you have no dentist or it is out of hours, call NHS 111, which will direct you to an urgent dental centre.
- Go to A and E if there is heavy bleeding, a facial injury, or a possible broken jaw alongside it.
What happens next
The dentist may splint the tooth to the ones either side while it reattaches, and will check for other damage. Even if the tooth cannot be saved, get seen so the socket is cleaned and your options for replacing it, a bridge, a denture or an implant, are explained. See private dentist prices for what those cost.