Knocked-out tooth — what to do right now

A knocked-out permanent tooth is the most time-sensitive dental emergency. If you act within 30 minutes, there's a strong chance the tooth can be saved.

Step 1: Find the tooth

Pick it up by the crown (the white part). Never touch the root — the delicate cells on the root surface are what allow reimplantation to work.

Step 2: Clean it gently

If dirty, rinse briefly under running water for no more than 10 seconds. Do not scrub, use soap, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide.

Step 3: Try to put it back

Gently push the tooth back into the socket facing the right way. Bite on a clean cloth to hold it. This is the single best thing you can do.

Step 4: Keep it alive

If you can't reinsert it, place it in cold milk. Milk has the right pH and nutrients to keep root cells alive. Saline works too. Never let the tooth dry out.

Step 5: Get to a dentist within 30 minutes

Call (512) 520-0787 immediately. We'll connect you with an Austin emergency dentist who can reimplant the tooth. According to the American Dental Association, reimplantation is most successful within 30 minutes.

What not to do

Do not scrub the tooth, do not wrap it in tissue or a dry cloth, and do not store it in plain tap water for longer than the quick rinse. Do not try to push a tooth back in if it is clearly broken into pieces, or if the person is drowsy, confused, or has been knocked unconscious, because they could swallow it. In that case keep the tooth in milk and get medical help first.

On the way to the dentist

If the tooth is back in the socket, keep biting gently on a clean cloth and do not keep checking it. If it is not, carry it in a small container of cold milk, or hold it inside the cheek if the injured person is old enough to do that safely. Note the time of the injury, because the dentist will ask. If someone else can drive, let them. Call ahead so the office is ready when you arrive.

After the tooth is back in place

The dentist will usually splint the tooth to its neighbors for one to two weeks and may recommend a tetanus check if the injury happened outdoors or the wound was dirty. Many reimplanted adult teeth later need a root canal, and your dentist will tell you when. Eat soft food, brush the area gently with a soft brush, and keep follow-up appointments, because they are how problems are caught early.

Preventing the next one

Most knocked-out teeth happen during sports and falls. A properly fitted mouthguard is the simplest protection, and it is worth having one made for anyone who plays contact sports.

What about a baby tooth?

Baby teeth are not reimplanted. Control bleeding, comfort the child, and see a dentist to check for fragments and damage to the permanent tooth underneath.

The five most common mistakes

• Holding it by the root. The root surface carries the cells that reattach. Hold the crown only.
• Scrubbing it clean. A brief rinse in milk or saline, never soap, never a toothbrush.
• Wrapping it in tissue. Dry tissue kills the cells within minutes. Milk, saline or your own saliva.
• Waiting to see how it feels. The window is about thirty minutes, and it does not reopen.
• Putting a child's baby tooth back in. Never — it can damage the adult tooth forming behind it.

If the tooth is chipped rather than out, read broken and chipped tooth instead. If you cannot find the tooth at all, still call: the socket needs checking for fragments.

Where we can get you seen in Austin

We reach emergency dentists in Downtown Austin, South Austin, East Austin, North Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Kyle, Buda, Leander and Lakeway. Searching for an emergency dentist near me gets you a map; calling (512) 520-0787 gets you the office that actually has an open chair, which on an I-35 or MoPac afternoon is often not the closest one.

Nights, Sundays and walk-ins

Overnight you can reach an on-call Austin dentist by phone and usually take an early-morning slot — see is there a 24 hour emergency dentist in Austin. Weekends run on a rotation, covered on the Sunday page. Walk-in capacity exists at some practices but is usually taken by mid-morning, so one call is faster than three drives.