What to do if you knock out a tooth
A knocked-out adult tooth can often be saved — but the chances drop significantly with every passing minute. This guide covers what to do in the first hour, and what to expect afterwards.
Act within 30–60 minutes
The best outcomes for knocked-out teeth happen when the tooth is back in its socket within 30 minutes. After an hour, the chances of successful reimplantation drop significantly. Every minute matters.
The immediate steps
Work through these in order. Stay as calm as you can — panicked handling of the tooth is one of the most common reasons reimplantation fails.
01
Find the tooth
It may have skidded or rolled some distance. Look for it immediately — a tooth left exposed to air and dust for even a few minutes suffers damage to the ligament fibres that allow it to reattach.
02
Hold it by the crown only
The crown is the white visible part. The root must not be touched — it is covered in delicate periodontal ligament cells that are essential for the tooth to reattach. Touching or scrubbing the root destroys these cells.
03
Rinse it if needed — but carefully
If the tooth is dirty, hold it by the crown and rinse it gently in milk, or use the patient's own saliva. Do not use tap water — the osmotic pressure damages the root cells. Do not scrub, dry, or wrap it in tissue.
04
Try to reinsert it
If the patient is conscious and cooperative, try to place the tooth back in the socket. Hold it by the crown, align it with the neighbouring teeth, and press gently but firmly until it is level with the adjacent teeth. Have the patient bite gently on a clean cloth to hold it in place.
05
If you cannot reinsert it — store it correctly
Place the tooth in a small container of full-fat milk. If no milk is available, the tooth can be kept between the patient's cheek and gum (as long as they are old enough not to swallow it). A saline solution also works. The tooth must not be allowed to dry out.
06
Get to a dentist immediately
Call Park Dental Care. If we cannot be reached and it is outside hours, go to your nearest A&E or walk-in dental department. Take the tooth with you in its storage medium.
What about children?
Baby (primary) teeth should not be reimplanted. Attempting to do so can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath. If a child knocks out a baby tooth, keep them calm, manage any bleeding with gentle pressure, and call us — we will advise whether they need to be seen immediately.
Permanent adult teeth in children should be treated the same as adult permanent teeth — the same urgency applies, and the same steps above should be followed. If you are unsure whether the tooth is a baby or permanent tooth, treat it as permanent and call us.
Other types of dental trauma
Chipped or fractured tooth
Rinse with warm water. Keep any fragment — bring it to the appointment. Avoid extreme temperatures. Call us for a same-day appointment, even if pain is mild. Untreated chips can worsen rapidly and expose the nerve.
Tooth pushed out of position (luxation)
Do not try to move it back yourself. Call us immediately — these cases require professional repositioning, and the sooner it is done, the better the prognosis.
Tooth pushed up into the gum (intrusion)
This happens in some falls and impacts. Do not apply force. Call us urgently — this is a serious injury that needs immediate assessment.
Lost crown, bridge or veneer
Not an emergency, but should be seen soon. Keep the restoration. Dental wax from a pharmacy can protect an exposed and sensitive tooth temporarily. Do not use household glue. Call us for a same-day appointment.
What happens at the appointment
When you arrive, we will assess the injury immediately. For a knocked-out tooth, this includes examining the socket, checking for other damage to surrounding teeth, taking X-rays, and — if reimplantation is still viable — repositioning and splinting the tooth.
A splint keeps the reimplanted tooth stable while the ligament reattaches, similar to a plaster cast. This is usually in place for one to two weeks. Follow-up appointments confirm whether the tooth has successfully reattached.
If reimplantation is not possible — due to time elapsed, root damage, or the nature of the injury — we will discuss replacement options. Implants, bridges, and other restorations are available and can produce excellent results. It is not the end of the road.
Prevention — mouthguards
Most dental trauma in sport is preventable. A custom-fitted mouthguard from Park Dental Care provides significantly more protection than a stock or boil-and-bite guard from a sports shop. It is moulded precisely to your teeth, which means it stays in place and absorbs impact correctly.
If you or your child plays contact sport — rugby, hockey, boxing, cricket, martial arts — ask us about a custom mouthguard. It is one of the most cost-effective dental investments you can make.