Originally posted on https://www.dr-day.com/blog/act-fast-5-critical-things-to-do-if-you-get-a-tooth-knocked-out/

Besides hockey players, nobody really expects to have a tooth knocked out. If you don’t count wisdom teeth, most people have 28 teeth as an adult. But according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the average of adults 20 to 64 years old only have about 25 teeth.

Not counting factors like smoking or poverty, it should be feasible to keep most of your teeth where they belong. But sometimes accidents happen, or you picked a fight with the wrong guy and you lost a tooth. Don’t worry though, there’s a good chance you won’t lose that tooth for good.

So You Got A Tooth Knocked Out

You aren’t a shark so you need to act fast, because that tooth isn’t going to grow back on its own. Unless your kid fell down and lost a baby tooth you’ll need to put it back in.

1. Find It

Hopefully, you didn’t swallow it because there’s a good chance you can re-attach it. The faster you find it the easier it will be to save.

Try and get anyone nearby to help look for your tooth like you lost your contacts. Everyone needs to be very careful where they step. While they probably won’t break the tooth if they step on it, there may be sensitive root material on the tooth that is necessary to re-attach it.

2. Save Your Tooth

Now that you have the tooth, make sure it’s clean. Run it under some water and don’t drop it down the drain.

If the entire tooth came out, root and all, try and put it back in the socket and gently bite down on a moist piece of cloth to hold it in place. It sounds gross but the faster it’s back in your mouth the more likely it will be saved. The mouth is the natural environment for teeth anyway.

If you’re worried about accidentally swallowing the tooth, seal it in a container with some milk. Tap water is not recommended.

3. Make An Emergency Appointment

Get hold of your dentist quickly and get an appointment as soon as possible. After getting your tooth knocked out you’ll have an hour at most to successfully re-implant it.

Your dentist or oral surgeon will check x-rays to make sure the tooth is in place before they set it and splint it to its neighbors.

4. Take Good Care Of It

It takes a couple of weeks for a re-implated tooth to take hold and even after the splints are out it may still feel loose. After the stints come out you’ll likely have a root canal performed to help prevent infection and discoloration.

Be careful when chewing in that area of your mouth and consider sticking to soft foods for a while. Don’t ruin all that work and get your tooth knocked loose again,

5. Worst Case Scenario

If you lose your tooth for good, like if it fell down a grate or in the ocean, there are complete replacements. Dentures, bridges, and implants can be as good as the real thing nowadays.

If you simply have a chipped tooth the process is a bit easier. Either the dentist will glue the fragment back on or make a replacement for what was lost.

Don’t Panic, We Can Handle It

If you got your tooth knocked out our surgery center can easily handle the re-implant or replacement. Contact us so we can quickly put your smile the way it should be.