Knocked Out Tooth? Don’t Panic


When a tooth is knocked out of your mouth, you have about half an hour to get to a dentist to have it put back in. That isn’t very much time, but if you succeed, the chances of the tooth root staying alive are good. The best place to go in Fresno is OnCall Dental, where we deal with dental emergencies every day.

Of course, you have to bring the tooth with you. That sounds obvious, but in an accident like this you are likely to panic. Your instinct to get help ASAP might make you forget. Chances are good you’ll be on a playing field or playground. Get down on your hands and knees and find that tooth.

That knocked out tooth might also be tangled up in your clothing, or in the clothing of whoever you’re with. Don’t forget to look there. Wherever you find it, don’t touch the root. Pick it up by the crown.

There’s still one more thing to do before heading to our office. It’s important to keep the tooth moist, so you need to store it somehow. Milk, believe it or not, is an excellent choice: it has a natural ph balance and vitamins that will preserve the tooth in the short term. You may not have a carton of milk handy, though. Saliva will do. You can wrap it in a paper towel, or even try to replace it in the socket, though that might be damaged, too.

But as we said, every minute counts. Even an adult tooth can be successfully re-implanted if you get here in time.

One distinction: when we say “knocked out tooth,” we mean root and all. When a tooth is broken above the gum line, a root canal may be necessary.

If the tooth cannot be saved, a dental implant may be your best option. An implant is a titanium post inserted into your jaw that works like a tooth root. An artificial tooth is placed on top of the post.

At OnCall Dental in Fresno, we see knocked out teeth all the time. Dental emergencies are our specialty. We also provide dental implants. Keep us in your phone contacts. We’re here 24/7, and walk-ins are always welcome.