Knocked Out A Tooth? Here's What To Do In The First 30 Minutes
Published by Emergency Dental Experts
Knocking out a tooth is a true dental emergency — but quick action can sometimes save it. Whether it happened during sports, a fall, or an accident, what you do in the first 30 minutes can make the difference between saving and losing the tooth permanently.
Step-By-Step: What To Do Right Now
1. Find The Tooth
Pick it up by the white crown (the part you normally see). Never touch the root — this is the yellowish part that sits in the gum. The root surface has delicate cells that are essential for reimplantation.
2. Clean It Gently
If the tooth is dirty, rinse it briefly under cold running water for no more than 10 seconds. Do not scrub it, do not use soap, and do not wrap it in tissue or let it dry out.
3. Try To Put It Back In
If possible, gently push the tooth back into the socket and bite down on a clean cloth to hold it in place. This gives it the best chance of survival. If you can't reinsert it, place the tooth in a small container of milk — milk keeps the root cells alive for up to an hour. Saliva works too: you can hold the tooth inside your cheek, but be careful not to swallow it.
4. Get To A Dentist Within 30 Minutes
Time is critical. The sooner the tooth is reimplanted by a dentist, the higher the chance of it surviving. After 60 minutes outside the socket, the chances drop significantly.
What About Baby Teeth?
Knocked-out baby teeth are generally not reimplanted as this could damage the developing adult tooth underneath. However, you should still see a dentist to check for any other injuries and ensure the adult tooth is unaffected.
What Will The Dentist Do?
At our clinic, we will clean the socket, reposition the tooth if possible, and splint it to the neighbouring teeth to hold it in place while it heals. We may also take X-rays to check for fractures in the bone or root. Follow-up appointments will be needed to monitor healing.
Emergency Dental Experts is open 24/7. If you or someone you know has knocked out a tooth, call us immediately on 020 8455 0465. Every minute counts.