Accident/Trauma

Knocked Out Tooth
It is rare, but it does happen! When a tooth is completely avulsed from the tooth socket. Completely—all in one piece! Like most emergencies, it’s important to know what to do to increase the likelihood of the best outcome.

Important: Make sure it’s a permanent tooth, not a baby tooth, as replanting would only be possible with a permanent tooth. For baby teeth, there is less concern; however, we do still recommend being seen to ensure there are no leftover fragments in the socket.

tooth extraction
  1. Keep the patient calm. Easier said than done!
  2. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (the top of the tooth). Avoid touching the roots as we want the tooth as clean as possible.
  3. If your tooth is clean, try to encourage the patient/parent to gently place the tooth back in the socket. Bite on something soft to hold it in place (such as tissue/paper towel/handkerchief).
  4. If you are not able to return the tooth back to its socket, place the tooth in a suitable storage container, e.g., a container of cold milk or saline solution. Avoid water as a storage medium.
  5. Call our office immediately.

Most teeth can reroot themselves if they have been out for less than 10 minutes; however, each passing minute decreases the chance of your tooth taking root again. Teeth that have been out longer than 2 hours are unlikely to take root again. Regardless, you will still want to schedule an appointment with the dentist—even if the tooth cannot be saved—to ensure the area is not at risk for infection, and go over possible treatment options.

Broken or Chipped Tooth
The good news is that the majority of teeth that have been either broken or chipped can be restored. We would want to schedule an exam sooner than later so that any damage does not worsen, and to rule out any possible risks of infection.

Depending on the severity of the crack or chip, your dentist may be able to restore the tooth with a white composite filling. In more severe cases, you may need to have a Root Canal if the nerve has been damaged, or a crown to replace the majority of the damaged area.