A knocked out tooth (avulsed tooth), needs to be treated by a dentist or physician as soon as possible. There is a small chance that a lost tooth can be saved if the proper measures are taken in a timely manner.
What to Do When Your Tooth Is Knocked Out
Start by applying firm pressure to the area where the tooth was lost; use a clean piece of gauze or towel. An avulsed tooth may produce a fair amount of hemorrhaging, so it is important to halt this.Once the tooth has been located and you have controlled the bleeding, inspect the root of the tooth to see if it has been broken.
If the root of the tooth appears uniform and smooth, it likely is not broken. Check to see if the tooth has any debris on it. If the tooth is not clean, place the tooth in your mouth or in a cup with a small amount of your saliva to clean it. It may sound gross, but a tooth has a better chance of surviving if cleansed in its natural environment. Rinsing the tooth with saline solution or water is a good second option for cleaning the tooth.
Once the tooth is clean, try to carefully place the tooth into the socket (hole) where the tooth came from. This is called reimplantation. Light finger pressure should be sufficient enough to replace the tooth. Sometimes there is debris or a blood clot in the socket (it should be visible). If this is the case, rinse vigorously with either fresh water or a saline solution before reimplantation. Chances are, the debris and/or clot will dislodge.
If possible, try to put the tooth in its socket within 60 minutes of when the tooth was lost. Once you have, bite gently on a small piece of gauze and see a dentist immediately.
If you are unable to replace the tooth in the socket, immediately place the tooth in either a saline solution or a glass of milk and see your dentist.
To successfully reimplant a tooth, a dentist needs to apply a bonding material to anchor the lost tooth to the teeth on either side of it. Simply replacing the tooth on your own will not successfully restore the tooth for good.
If the root has been broken, it will appear jagged and feel rough. If you are unsure if the root has broken, or are pretty sure that it has, place the tooth in a cup with a small amount of your saliva (milk can be used as an alternative) and see a dentist immediately. This will help preserve the tooth until you can see your dentist.Being prepared to handle a dental emergency when one arises will allow for the situation o be handled in a calm manner. If you are ever in a situation where you feel like you are not prepared to handle a serious dental emergency yourself, call 911 immediately.
Sources:
The U.S. National Library of Medicine From the National Institutes of Health - Medline Plus. Broken or Knocked Out Tooth. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000058.htm">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000058.htm Accessed: June 28, 2010
