When characters in a movie lose a tooth, they often shrug it off, drop the tooth to the ground, and keep fighting. But what do you do in real life when someone actually gets a tooth knocked out? The answer is quite a lot! Whether it\u2019s you or someone around you who has suffered this type of dental trauma, knowing what to do and acting quickly can actually help save the tooth<\/a>. While we hope you\u2019ll never have to use this knowledge about first aid for dental trauma, it\u2019s best to know what to do so you can act quickly and decisively if you\u2019re ever faced with this situation. As a result, we\u2019ve broken down what you should do to handle knocked-out teeth as well as what you can expect from short- and long-term dental care.<\/p>\n This might sound easier said than done, but you really don\u2019t need to worry! If you follow directions and act quickly<\/a>, modern dentistry techniques provide a good chance for a dentist specialist to successfully save the tooth by reimplanting it in its socket. Plus, not panicking can save essential time and increase the likelihood for a better overall treatment outcome!<\/p>\n The first thing you should do when someone knocks out a tooth is to pick it up \u2014 the right way. Always pick the tooth up by its crown, or chewing surface, and avoid touching the root of the tooth. If the person whose tooth was knocked out is a child, determine if the tooth is a baby tooth or an adult tooth. Baby teeth<\/a> are rarely reimplanted because doing so can interfere with the development and eruption of adult teeth in the future. If the tooth that was knocked out was a baby tooth, the child will still need to see an emergency dentist to examine the injury and come up with a treatment plan, so you may still want to take steps to preserve the tooth just in case.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve picked the tooth up, you should rinse it off with cool tap water to try and remove any debris from its surface. You might feel it\u2019s dirty, but you should still avoid touching the root of the tooth or pulling anything off of it. Similarly, don\u2019t try to scrub the tooth clean or use any sort of soap. All you need is water; it\u2019s simple, fast, and it gets the job done! When you feel that you\u2019ve rinsed the tooth off as well as you can, don\u2019t dry it off; the tooth needs to stay moist.<\/p>\n You should call your dentist to schedule an emergency dental appointment immediately. You may even want to do so while you\u2019re rinsing the tooth! Getting treatment quickly \u2014 ideally within 30 minutes of a tooth being knocked out \u2014 is essential to give the dentist the best chance of successfully reimplanting it. If the injury happens outside of the dentist\u2019s normal operating hours, their website should have an emergency contact number you can use. This helps ensure you\u2019ll be able to get an appointment right away.<\/p>\nDon\u2019t panic.<\/h2>\n
Pick up the tooth and determine if it\u2019s a baby or adult tooth.<\/h2>\n
Clean the tooth gently.<\/h2>\n
Call the emergency dentist immediately.<\/h2>\n
Transport the tooth properly.<\/h2>\n