Children and adults every year sustain an estimated 5 million knocked-out teeth. If this happens to you or your child, you need to know what to do to save your tooth.
Our team of dedicated professionals at Bay Dental Group, led by Dr. Woo Young Lee and Dr. Sean Kim, has the expertise to treat your injury immediately with our emergency dentistry care. If you suffer from a knocked-out tooth, we encourage you to follow these action steps to help save your tooth:
1. Locate your knocked out tooth, if possible
If you’re able to find your knocked-out tooth, pick it up without touching its roots. You want to avoid damaging the roots because they’re vital to your healing. Instead, pick the tooth up at the base side or the crown of the tooth where you chew.
2. Rinse off your broken tooth
Once you pick up your tooth, check for debris or dirt. If you need to clean it, rinse it gently with water only. Do not add soap or any cleaning agents, and don’t scrub it or wipe it off. You want to keep the tooth in its original state.
3. Put the tooth back in its socket
If possible, you need to place the tooth back in its socket. Once there, hold it in place with your fingers or slowly bite down, and keep your mouth closed until you reach our practice. Studies show that if you can get your tooth back in its socket within five minutes, it has a strong chance of surviving.
If you can’t get your knocked-out tooth back in place, you need to keep the roots of the tooth moist. Put it in your mouth next to your cheek until you see our team. If you can’t keep it there, put it in a small container of milk, or spit some of your saliva into a cup and gently place it in there. Do not soak it in water.
4. Get emergency care immediately
After taking the necessary steps to save your tooth, you need to call our office or get to our practice as soon as possible. It’s best to get emergency dental care within 30 minutes of your injury.
At Bay Dental Group, we have the expertise to reimplant your tooth or perform the necessary procedure to repair and restore the life of your tooth, whether you’re an adult or a child.
If your tooth gets knocked, call us at (408) 725-2442 to get immediate care. If you have additional dental services you’d like to see us about, request an appointment online today.