Knocked-Out Tooth: What to Do in the First 30 Minutes
A knocked-out tooth is one of the few true dental emergencies where minutes matter. Acting in the first 30 minutes gives you the best chance of saving the tooth, so move quickly and call an emergency dentist near you right away.
1. Find the tooth and handle it by the crown
Locate the tooth right away. Pick it up by the crown (the white chewing part), never by the root. Touching the root can damage the delicate fibers that help the tooth reattach.
2. Rinse gently, do not scrub
If the tooth is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds with milk or saline. Do not scrub it, use soap, or dry it, and do not wrap it in a tissue. You want to keep those root surface cells alive.
3. Reposition it, or store it in milk
If you can, gently place the tooth back into its socket facing the right way and bite down softly on a clean cloth to hold it. If reinserting is not possible, the next best option is to store the tooth in cold milk, in saliva, or in a tooth-preservation kit. Never store it in plain water, which damages the root cells.
- Keep the tooth moist at all times.
- Use cold milk if you cannot reinsert the tooth.
- Control any bleeding with light pressure on a gauze or cloth.
- Bring the tooth with you to the dentist.
Every minute counts. Call now.
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☎ Call (844) 851-83014. Call an emergency dentist immediately
Even if you reinsert the tooth perfectly, you still need a dentist to splint and check it. Call (844) 851-8301 and we will connect you to a local emergency dentist near you for a same-day or after-hours visit. If the socket is badly damaged you may also need an oral surgeon or tooth extraction.
What not to do
Do not hold the tooth by the root, scrub it, let it dry out, or store it in tap water. For a knocked-out baby tooth, do not try to reinsert it; call a pediatric emergency dentist to check for other injuries.
People also ask
How long do I have to save a knocked-out tooth?
Your best chance is within 30 minutes to 1 hour. The sooner the tooth is back in the socket or stored in milk and you reach an emergency dentist, the higher the odds of saving it.
Can a knocked-out baby tooth be put back in?
No. Dentists do not re-implant baby teeth because it can damage the developing adult tooth underneath. Still call an emergency dentist to check for other injuries.
What is the best way to store a knocked-out tooth?
Ideally place it back in the socket. If you cannot, store it in cold milk, in saliva, or a tooth-preservation kit. Do not store it in plain water.
Related guides
This article is for general information only and is not medical or dental advice. For a dental emergency, contact a licensed dentist or call (844) 851-8301. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.