You Are in a Race to Beat the Clock!
If you have had your tooth knocked out, the best chance to save your tooth is to have it correctly placed back into its socket within one hour. So get in your car and call us on the way to our office to let us know you are coming and you have a knocked out tooth. A doctor will see you promptly upon your arrival.
There are two options for the best way to bring your tooth to the dentist:
- If you (or whomever lost the tooth) are alert and able to keep the tooth in your mouth without swallowing it, the mouth is the best place to keep the tooth.
- In a small glass of milk is the next best choice.
Avoid touching the root of the tooth. Try to only touch the tooth by the crown; the part normally exposed in the mouth.
If the tooth is visibly dirty you may rinse it gently in a homemade saline solution
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ – 1 tsp. salt
- Mix the salt and water until salt is dissolved.
Don’t scrub the tooth or remove gum tissue still attached to the tooth.
If you are confident you know the correct orientation of the tooth you may try to gently reinsert the tooth back into its socket. Never force the tooth into the socket. Then call our office, explain the situation and that you have reinserted the tooth. You will still need to come in immediately to have the tooth evaluated and be sure it will have the best chance of survival.