Knocked Out or Avulsed Permanent tooth
Instructions for an Adult (Permanent) Tooth
Find the tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown, not the root portion. You may rinse the tooth with milk, but do not clean or scrub the root of the tooth. Without touching the root, try to reinsert the tooth back into the socket.
If you cannot reinsert the tooth, transport the tooth in a cup containing cold milk. Your child must see a dentist immediately! Time is a critical factor in saving the tooth.
Remember to take the tooth with you.
After the dentist places your child's permanent tooth back into his/her mouth and stabilizes it with a wire, the tooth will still require follow-up evaluations for 2-3 years to determine the success of the treatment. A successful outcome for the tooth cannot be guaranteed even if the tooth was replaced in a timely manner. Potential complications following an avulsion include changes near the root of the tooth, submergence of the tooth, or infection, which may all result in future loss of the tooth.
Instructions for a Baby (Primary) Tooth
A knocked out baby tooth should NOT be reinserted (replanted). You should take your child to his/her pediatrician within 48 hours for a tetanus consultation. Your child can rinse with a chlorhexidine rinse and take Tylenol or Ibuprofen, if needed.
Doctor Wang, Doctor Perea-Corkish, Doctor Gerodias and the other Doctors of Discovery Pediatric Dentistry make no warranties, expressed or implied, as to any results to be obtained from use of the information on this page. We cannot diagnose or treat patients over the Internet. Information on this site is for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal, medical, and/or dental attention or diagnosis. Without all available information about a patient, it is impossible to make a diagnosis. Help and answers are in the form of general ideas. Only you, your dentist, and other necessary and qualified health care providers can make an appropriate treatment decision in an emergency or for everyday care and dental treatment.