Playing sports without a mouth guard, biting down on something hard, getting in an accident or falling down— these are all ways you can knock out a tooth. But what to do if you find yourself in this situation?

First things first: Replace the tooth within 5 minutes to ensure the best outcome, as the body will still recognize the tooth as its own, rather than a “graft”.

• Carefully remove debris from the tooth root by rinsing it in cold tap or bottled water. Avoid touching the root surface itself. Hold the tooth by the crown — the white enamel portion.
• Replant the tooth by grasping the crown between the thumb and first finger with the smooth, flat surface facing forward and pushing the tooth firmly into the socket.
• Apply sustained pressure so tooth is not pushed back out.
• If immediate replantation is not possible, control the bleeding with pressure, place the tooth in the patient’s own saliva (for example between the cheek and gums if the patient is old enough to be trusted not to swallow the tooth) or cold milk or water to keep it from drying out.
• See a dentist as soon as possible!

Hopefully you won’t find yourself in this situation, but if you do, now you know what to do! For more information on your oral health, visit DeltaDentalMN.org.