Knocked-Out Tooth Emergency in Tucson, AZ

A knocked-out tooth is one of the most time-sensitive dental emergencies. If you get to a dentist within 30 to 60 minutes and the tooth has been stored properly, there is a good chance it can be reimplanted and saved.

This happens more often than you might think in Tucson. Kids playing sports at Himmel Park, adults in recreational league softball, falls, car accidents, or even biting into something unexpectedly hard. Whatever caused it, the clock starts the moment the tooth leaves the socket.

The first thing to know: do not panic, and do not throw the tooth away. A permanent tooth that has been knocked out can often be put back. Baby teeth cannot be reimplanted, but permanent teeth can if the conditions are right.

When you arrive at our office, Dr. Torres will clean the socket, reposition the tooth, and splint it to the neighboring teeth with a small wire or composite material. The splint stays on for about two weeks while the ligament fibers reattach. You will need follow-up visits to check healing and, in some cases, a root canal procedure later.

The success rate for reimplantation depends almost entirely on two things: how quickly you get to us and how the tooth was stored in the meantime. A tooth kept in milk has a much better chance than one that was left dry in a pocket or wrapped in a tissue.

We see reimplantation cases regularly in our Tucson office. Dr. Torres has more than 15 years of experience with dental trauma, including complex cases involving multiple knocked-out teeth from sports injuries and accidents.