A knocked-out adult tooth is one of the few genuine dental emergencies. Handled well in the first half hour, it can often be put back and kept. Handled badly, it usually cannot.
Do this first
- Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown — the chewing part. Never touch the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it in milk or saline for no more than ten seconds. Do not scrub it.
- Try to put it back in the socket, facing the right way, and bite gently on a clean cloth.
If it will not go back in, keep it wet. A dry root is a dead root.
What to store it in
| Medium | How good |
|---|---|
| Milk | Excellent — the first choice in most kitchens |
| Saliva | Good — hold it inside the cheek if the patient is old enough |
| Saline | Good |
| Water | Poor — it damages the root cells |
Then call us
Ring the practice on (08) 9306 2755 and say the words “knocked-out tooth”. We keep room in the day for this. Outside our hours, go to a hospital emergency department.
Baby teeth are the exception: a knocked-out baby tooth is never put back, because doing so risks damaging the adult tooth forming above it.
A quick checklist
Handle by the crown only
Keep it wet — milk, saliva or saline
Get to a dentist within 30 minutes
More on what we do once you arrive is on our emergency dentistry page.