Sports season is officially in full swing! For many of us, that means traveling to different cities, making lasting team memories, and welcoming summer with some healthy competition.

For others, it could mean a knocked out tooth! While we hope this doesn’t ever happen to you, we’d like to provide some tips on what to do if you find yourself in this situation. In this blog post, we will be discussing how to preserve a knocked out tooth until you can get to a dentist.

How to Handle the Tooth

When the tooth falls out, it will most likely be dirty and on the ground. In order to safely get the tooth picked up and cleaned, we have a few tips for you! When handling your tooth, hold it by the crown (the top part you use to bite) and try your best to not touch the root of the tooth. We then advise you to rinse the tooth with cold water for no more than 10 seconds. This will get the dirt off, but not damage the tooth.

Teeth are very sensitive, so handling them properly can make a difference in being able to save the tooth. The most important thing to remember is, to KEEP THE TOOTH MOIST! Since teeth are used to being most in your mouth it is important for them to stay moist and prevent them from dying. This can be done by carefully placing the tooth back in the empty socket, or by storing it in milk. DO NOT use water to keep the tooth moist because the roots can not handle long exposure to water.

Getting Your Tooth Back In

In the best case scenario, you’ll be able to store the tooth in your mouth while you seek dental treatment. This can be a little intimidating but it provides your tooth with the highest chance of survival. You should try to gently place your tooth back in the socket. This can require precision so we suggest being super careful while you do this.

If it does not go in easily or is causing more pain, go ahead and place it in milk. If it does go in, gently bite down on a clean rag to hold the tooth in place until you arrive at the dentist.

Getting to a Dentist

After a tooth gets knocked out, you’re going to want to see a dentist ASAP! Ideally within 30 minutes.

While a tooth can survive up to an hour, the viability of the tooth drastically decreases after the 30 minute window. If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, give us a call right away and we can help!

However, we do understand that accidents often happen outside of office hours. If you are unable to get in touch with us, find your nearest emergency dentist. If all else fails, you can also go to the nearest emergency room. It is extremely important that you seek treatment as soon as possible if you want a fighting chance at saving your tooth!

A tooth that has been knocked out can, in many cases, be saved!  Remember to keep it moist either in your mouth or in a bag of milk. Handle the tooth by the crown and rinse it with cold water for no more than 10 seconds. And seek dental treatment ASAP.

We hope these tips help you learn how to save your tooth in the unfortunate event that it is ever knocked out.

For any questions, comments, or concerns, call our office at (509) 927-5909. We look forward to hearing from you!