What do you do if you accidentally have a tooth knocked out? Can you put a tooth back in? Should you put a tooth in milk? Knocked-out teeth can be scary, but they may be saved if you do certain things right away. 

Summit Dental Partners has ways to save your smile if the right intervention is taken. What do you need to do with teeth knocked out? Here are a few suggestions on what to do in a dental emergency. 

Steps to Save a Knocked-Out Tooth

With school back in session, sports are back, too. We’ve seen more than one case of a child losing a tooth during sports. Of course, kids may accidentally knock out a tooth. What do you do if a child loses a tooth?

It may be OK if it’s a baby tooth, depending on which tooth. We may need to insert a spacer between the primary teeth to keep room for your child’s permanent tooth to come in if the permanent tooth isn’t expected for a while. If the tooth was about to erupt anyway, we likely would suggest waiting for the permanent tooth. 

What if a permanent tooth is knocked out? The first step is to find the tooth if you can. If the tooth’s root is intact, pick the tooth up by the crown (the white part you usually see). Try not to touch the root.

Gently rinse the tooth off with water, but do not dry it. You must keep the tooth moist. If you can, place the tooth back into its socket immediately. 

Hold the tooth in its socket by biting down very lightly to keep it in place. Make sure you call us immediately and let us know that you’ve lost a tooth and are coming in.

Put a Tooth in Milk

What if you can’t put the tooth back into the socket? Don’t wrap it in a paper towel or put it in a plastic bag. The tooth will dry out and die, leaving no chance of putting it back. Instead, you should put the tooth in milk. 

Why milk? Milk has calcium, sugar, protein, and antibacterials that will keep the tooth and root moist and alive long enough to be replanted, if possible. You can hold the tooth between your cheek and gum if you don’t have milk. Do not use tap water. It could cause the root to swell and not fit back into the socket.

A tooth has a better chance of surviving if it’s replanted within 30 minutes of being knocked out, so see your dentist right away. Once we see it, we’ll be able to tell whether we can save it.

How to Prevent Knocking Out a Tooth

Is it possible to prevent a knocked-out tooth? The best way to keep your teeth safe is with a mouthguard, especially during sports. You can have a mouthguard made professionally or get a “boil and bite” mouthguard from major retailers or pharmacies. The other option in sports is to wear a protective face shield, though not all sports allow them. 

Options to Replace a Permanent Tooth

What happens if you can’t put the tooth back into place? Summit Dental Partners offers several options to replace a permanent tooth. 

• Crowns — A dental crown is a great option if you still have part of the tooth in your jaw. Crowns fit over the existing teeth and cover defects such as breaks, chips, cracks, or discolorations. 
• Bridges — Dental bridges place a crown over adjoining teeth to hold a crown in the space where the tooth once was. 
• Dental implants — A dental implant consists of a metal “root” that is placed in the jaw so the replacement crown can be screwed into it. Dental implants work best for those with strong, healthy jaws and can last for decades. 

Summit Dental Partners can create custom-made crowns, bridges, and dental implants that closely resemble your other teeth in color and shape. We will examine you and determine which tooth replacement options would be best for you.

Other Dental Emergencies

A knocked-out tooth definitely qualifies as a dental emergency. What other events can be considered dental emergencies? 

Some dental issues don’t require an immediate visit with the dentist. In all cases, you should contact us to let us know about the problem. We may be able to offer solutions you can do at home. 

Here are some instances that can be considered dental emergencies. 

• Cavity with pain
• Filling or crown loss
• Chipped or broken tooth
• Tooth or gum infection (abscess)
• Gum injury with bleeding and/or swelling
• Jaw injury/fracture

If you have any of these issues, severe pain, or any signs of severe bleeding or infection, contact us right away.

Emergency Dental Treatment in Summit, NJ

Tooth loss can be scary, but it’s important not to panic. A missing tooth can be replaced by the tooth if you get to us in time. If not, we have other options to make it look like the tooth was never lost. 

Contact Summit Dental Partners if you ever have a dental emergency. We can guide you through the steps necessary to save your teeth and restore your smile.