Knocked-Out Tooth (Avulsed Tooth)
What You Can Do
What Your Dentist Will Do
Dentists refer to a knocked-out tooth as an "avulsed" tooth. This is one of the most serious dental emergencies for permanent teeth. However, the damage can be fixed. If you act quickly, there's a good chance the tooth can be saved.
What You Can Do
When a tooth has been knocked out, the nerves, blood vessels and supporting tissues are damaged, too. The nerves and blood vessels can't be repaired. But if your dentist can put the tooth back in place within an hour after it was knocked out, there's a good chance that the supporting tissues will reattach and hold the tooth in place.
Get to a dentist right away. In the meantime, here's what you should do:
- Pick the tooth up by the crown. This is the part of the tooth that you see in the mouth. Avoid touching the root end (the part that was under the gum).
- If the tooth is dirty, do NOT clean it. This could damage the tooth. Place the tooth back into its socket. The tooth has a better chance of surviving if it's kept in its natural environment. If you cannot get the tooth back in its socket, tuck it between your cheek and gum. Another option is to put the tooth in a container of milk. You can also buy a kit at some pharmacies. It contains a solution similar to natural saliva. The most important thing is to keep the tooth moist.
Remember, if you act quickly and get to your dentist as soon as possible, there's a good chance the tooth can be saved.
What Your Dentist Will Do
Putting the tooth back in place sometimes can be simple. Other times it can be complicated, such as when the tooth or bone is broken. Your dentist will use water to flush debris from the socket. Then he or she will slip the tooth back into place. The tooth will be splinted to adjacent teeth with plastic resin and orthodontic wire. This keeps the tooth stable so it can heal and reattach.
The tooth does not always reattach in the right way. If it doesn't, it eventually may fuse to the jawbone. If this happens, the root of the tooth can erode or be reabsorbed into the body. This occurs very slowly and can take months or even years. Your dentist will monitor the tooth and may suggest further treatment, such as a root canal.
The nerves and blood vessels that were injured when the tooth was knocked out usually can't heal. Root canal treatment often is needed to prevent the tooth from changing color or developing an abscess.
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