How To Save A Knocked-Out Tooth?

A knocked-out tooth is any tooth that has been completely dislodged or knocked out from its socket in the jawbone. A tooth can be knocked out due to injury or trauma to the face.

What Is A Knocked-Out Tooth?

A knocked-out tooth is a severely damaged or dislodged tooth that is usually a result of blunt-force trauma to the face. This can happen when hitting your head on the dashboard of a fast-moving car or when the impact from a sports-related injury is strong enough to break a tooth. However, teeth can be knocked loose by tooth decay if too much of the dental structure has been compromised.

When a tooth gets knocked out of its socket, it is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment from a dentist to reduce the risk of infection or other complications.

How To Save A Knocked-Out Tooth?

The first thing to do after a tooth is knocked out is to keep the tooth moist at all times. If you are able to reinsert your tooth yourself, do so as soon as possible; it is more likely to survive if placed back into its socket within five minutes of being knocked out. If you can’t place the tooth back in its socket, hold the tooth by the crown and rinse off the root under cold water. Place it in a cup of milk to keep it moist until you reach the dentist’s office. This will prevent it from drying out and becoming infected in the time between the injury and the visit to the dentist’s office.

But what happens when you make it to the dentist’s office? When you come in for treatment, the dentist will examine your tooth and determine the best course of treatment for your particular situation. In many cases, the tooth will need to be splinted to the neighboring teeth with wires until it can recover fully and be reattached.

 In serious cases, the damaged tooth may need to be extracted and replaced with a dental implant or another prosthetic replacement. Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jaw bone. They fuse with the surrounding bone through a process called osseointegration, providing a long-term replacement for the missing root structure. Once the implant is healed, a custom dental crown will be cemented onto the implant to restore its appearance and function.

To learn more, give our office a call at (702) 331-2121 to schedule your next one! We can't wait to see your smile soon and help you enjoy the benefits of visiting the dentist regularly this year!