First Aid Tips for a Knocked-Out Tooth
First Aid Tips for a Knocked-Out Tooth
Read these 5 tips to have the best chance of saving a tooth after having it knocked out. Reacting fast & effectively can save your tooth & money!
Learn the 5 steps to take after suffering from a knocked-out tooth
A knocked-out tooth can be a traumatic experience, but it’s important to act quickly and calmly to increase the chances of saving the tooth. Teeth can be reimplanted, but timing is critical — ideally, a dentist should reinsert the tooth within 30 minutes to an hour after the incident, but if it’s longer then there’s still a chance of success.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through essential first-aid tips to handle this dental emergency effectively.
1. Take a Deep Breath and Stay Calm
Yes, seeing a tooth on the ground is freaky. But the most important thing you can do right away is stay calm. Panicking won’t help anyone, and you'll need to focus to handle the situation effectively.
Start by making sure there aren’t any other injuries. If someone hits their head or is bleeding heavily, you might need to call 000 or head to the ER first. But if the knocked-out tooth is the main issue, let’s deal with that.
If there’s bleeding from the mouth, grab a clean cloth or some gauze and press it gently over the area to stop the bleeding.
Quick Tip:
If a child has knocked out a baby tooth, don’t try to reinsert it. Take them to the dentist, but let the tooth go — it’s better for the permanent tooth underneath.
2. Find the Tooth and Handle It Carefully
Now, find the tooth. And when you do, handle it with care! This is important: don’t touch the root (the part that was inside the gum). Instead, hold the tooth by the crown, which is the part that sticks out in the mouth.
What to Do:
Rinse the tooth: If it’s dirty, gently rinse it with milk or a saline solution. If you don’t have either, you can use water but do not scrub the tooth or use soap. You want to protect those cells on the root.
Reinsert it if you can: If you're feeling brave, try to put the tooth back into the socket. Make sure the tooth faces the right way (check the other teeth for reference), and gently push it in. Once it’s in, bite down softly on a piece of gauze or cloth to keep it in place. Even if it feels loose, it’s better than leaving the tooth out.
Quick Tip:
Don’t force the tooth back in. If it doesn’t go in easily, that’s okay. We’ll figure out another way to save it.
3. Keep the Tooth Moist
If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket, the next best thing you can do is keep it moist. Drying out is bad news for the tooth — it needs to stay hydrated to have any chance of being reattached.
How to Keep It Moist:
Put it in milk: This is probably your best bet if you can’t reinsert it. Milk helps keep the tooth’s root cells alive.
Use a tooth preservation kit: If you’ve got one of these handy, use it! These kits are specifically designed to preserve knocked-out teeth.
Hold it in your mouth: If no other options are available, place the tooth between your cheek and gums. It’s not the best solution, but saliva can help keep it moist.
Saline solution: If you’ve got access to saline (from a first aid kit or even by mixing a little salt with water), use that to store the tooth.
Quick Tip:
Avoid putting the tooth in regular water for too long. Water can actually harm the root cells, making it harder to reattach.
4. Get to the Dentist — Fast!
Time is everything when it comes to saving a knocked-out tooth. You’ve got about 30 minutes to an hour to get it back in place, so call your dentist right away and let them know you’re coming. If your dentist’s office is closed, check if they have an emergency line, or find an urgent dental care clinic nearby.
If there are any other serious injuries, you may need to head to the hospital first but still try to get the tooth to a dentist as quickly as possible.
Quick Tip:
It’s always a good idea to have your dentist’s emergency contact information saved in your phone, just in case something like this happens.
5. Manage the Pain and Swelling
While you’re on your way to the dentist, the person who lost the tooth might be in some pain. Here’s what you can do to help with that:
Cold compress: Hold a cold compress or an ice pack (wrapped in a cloth) to the outside of the cheek to reduce swelling and numb the area a little.
Pain relievers: You can take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, but avoid putting any pain-relief gels directly on the gums or tooth area.
Prevention is Always Better
While knowing what to do in an emergency is super helpful, it’s even better if you can prevent these situations in the first place. If you or your kids play sports, wearing a mouthguard can protect your teeth from these kinds of accidents. And regular dentist visits will help keep your teeth strong and healthy, reducing the risk of them being knocked out in the first place.
Ultimately, dealing with a knocked-out tooth doesn’t have to be a nightmare. If you stay calm, act fast, and follow these steps, you’ve got a good chance of saving the tooth. Just remember: every minute counts!
Emergency Dentist Sydney is available around the clock to provide fast, effective support. Book in or call us today!
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Knocked Out Tooth?
Don't Panic, There's a Chance It Can be Saved
Don't Panic, There's a Chance It Can be Saved
Getting a tooth knocked out can feel like a nightmare. Although it may not be the most serious injury in the world, it can certainly seem like the world is close to ending. Who wants to be called Gappy when they are an adult? It was cute when you were six and knew it was very much a temporary situation, but a knocked-out tooth as a grownup? It sends shivers down most people's spines just thinking about it.
As shocking and scary as it is, thanks to modern dentistry if your tooth is knocked out, putting things right is a lot easier than it used to be, and the chances you won't lose your lovely smile for very long are high. As long as you take prompt action that is.
Dealing with a Knocked-Out Tooth: Immediate Steps to Take
Whether the cause is a sports injury, an accident, or you got into a fight - either with someone else or the pavement - it is important to know what to do immediately after a tooth has been knocked out.
When a tooth is knocked out it is quite literally severed from the socket (that's just one reason why it hurts so much) and usually, the ligament that once attached it to your gum and jaw is destroyed. The tooth can still be saved at this point, but you'll need as many of the tiny nerve fibres to remain attached as possible.
This means you'll have to be very careful when you pick up the tooth (we're assuming here it can be located) You should pick it up by the crown only, never the root. Pick it up the wrong way and those precious fibers will be gone.
Once you have the tooth, wipe away excess dirt (carefully) and either set it back into the socket or hold it between your cheek and gums in your mouth. Bathing your tooth in your saliva will help keep it alive. If you can't place it in your mouth putting it into a glass of cold whole milk is the next best thing.
At this point somebody - possibly not you as your mouth is busy trying to save a knocked-out tooth - should be on the phone with an emergency dentist. A tooth that is lost due to an accident has an 80-90% chance of being saved if these procedures are followed and you can get to the dentist's office quickly.
A healthy tooth that is. If a knocked-out tooth was loose already, something that is usually caused by periodontal disease, none of these measures may help, as a diseased tooth is usually beyond that at this point. You should still head right to the dentists though, as the damage done to the gums and potentially to surrounding teeth still needs to be accessed asap.
Preventing Tooth Loss
Accidents happen. We understand that. But there are some things you can do to help prevent getting a tooth knocked out in the first place. Some sensible measures include the following:
If you play sports, wear a mouth guard. Not just if you play cricket or footie and there are flying objects involved, but when you participate in any sport. You never know when an opponent’s arm, or the track, might connect with your face and knock your tooth out. You need to make sure it fits well though, so talk to your dentist and they'll help you find the right one.
Practice good dental hygiene and visit your dentist regularly to prevent gum disease and decay. As we already mentioned, an unhealthy tooth is knocked out far more easily than a healthy one and once it's out there's rarely any putting it back in.
Think when you drink. Yes, there's still tons of fun to be had, even if the summer's winding down. And while we are not suggesting you give up enjoying everything that Sydney has to offer - including all the great pubs and clubs - drink with care.
Once you get a bit beer wobbly you are far more likely to fall down and kiss the pavement (ouch, it hurts just thinking about it) and/or get into a bit of fisticuffs with a fellow 'happy' reveler. If you are drinking, take it steady and if you really can't walk straight (oops) don't try. Call a taxi, call an Uber, call a mate but don't try to walk home and certainly don't drive.
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
With prompt action a knocked-out tooth can often be saved. Just another reason why it pays to have our number in your phone, as you never know when you might need it at 2 am!
Patient Care First
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