What to Do if You Knock Out a Tooth in Tucson

A knocked-out tooth is one of those injuries that feels like a crisis because it is one. Whether it happened on a basketball court at Udall Park, a fall on the trail at Sabino Canyon, or a collision in a parking lot, a tooth that has been completely knocked out of its socket needs attention within 30 minutes for the best chance of being saved.

Here is the thing most people do not know: a knocked-out permanent tooth can often be replanted if you act fast and handle the tooth correctly. The periodontal ligament cells on the root surface can survive for a limited time outside the mouth, and those cells are what allow the tooth to reattach to the bone.

Step one: Find the tooth. Pick it up by the crown (the white part you normally see). Never touch the root. The root has delicate ligament fibers that need to stay intact for the tooth to reattach.

Step two: If the tooth is dirty, rinse it gently under milk or saline solution. Do not scrub it. Do not use tap water if you can avoid it, as the chlorine and minerals can damage the root cells. Do not wrap it in tissue or let it dry out.

Step three: Try to put the tooth back in the socket. Gently press it in with your finger and hold it in place by biting down on a clean cloth. This is the single best thing you can do because the tooth stays nourished by your body while you get to the dentist.

If you cannot put the tooth back in (maybe there is too much bleeding or swelling, or it is a child who might swallow it), place the tooth in a small container of cold milk. Milk has the right pH and osmolarity to keep the root cells alive for up to an hour. Saline solution works too. As a last resort, the person can hold the tooth between their cheek and gum in their own saliva.

Step four: Get to a dentist immediately. Call 520-317-6362. Tell us a tooth has been knocked out so we can prepare for your arrival. If this happens during our hours (Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM), we will see you as an emergency. Time matters here, and every minute counts.

At the office, Dr. Torres will clean the socket, position the tooth, and splint it to the neighboring teeth with a flexible wire. The splint stays in place for about 7 to 14 days while the ligament reattaches. In most cases, a root canal is needed within 2 to 4 weeks after the injury because the nerve inside the tooth dies.

Not every knocked-out tooth can be saved. If the tooth was out of the mouth for more than an hour, if it dried out, or if the root is fractured, the chances of successful replantation drop significantly. In those cases, Dr. Torres will discuss replacement options: a dental implant, bridge, or partial denture.

What about baby teeth? If a child knocks out a baby tooth, do not try to replant it. Pushing a baby tooth back into the socket can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. Instead, control the bleeding with a clean cloth, comfort the child, and call us for advice.

Prevention matters too. If you or your kids play contact sports, a custom mouthguard is one of the cheapest and most effective pieces of protective equipment you can get. We make custom-fitted mouthguards at our office that are more comfortable and protective than the boil-and-bite versions from the sporting goods store.

A knocked-out tooth is a dental emergency that requires fast action. Know the steps, keep a small container of milk available for sporting events, and save our number (520-317-6362) in your phone so you do not have to search for it in a panic.