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What to do if you or someone else has knocked out a tooth

Updated: May 21, 2020


Knocking out a tooth is a very traumatizing experience and it can happen for a number of different reasons. Many children knock out loose teeth while playing sport or having an accident involving the face. The tooth can be successfully placing back into the socket of the right action is taken.

When a whole tooth is avulsed (knocked out), the socket will bleed. Take a clean handkerchief, hold it over the socket and bite down. If you need to take medication for pain, do not take aspirin as it will make the socket bleed more.

If it is a child who has lost the tooth and they are under the age of 6, it is likely that the tooth missing is a baby tooth. Dr Jennifer Collins of Northumberland Dental Care, DOES NOT recommend replacing a baby tooth. This may cause infection or damage the growing adult teeth underneath.

The avulsed adult tooth must be replaced asap , ideally within 30 minutes of it being out of the mouth . If you have the whole tooth, do not touch it by the root. If it is dirty, rinse it with milk or tap water. Do not clean with disinfectant or let it dry out.

Hold the tooth by the crown and place it firmly back into the socket , root first. Bite on the handkerchief and go to an emergency dentist asap.

If you cannot get the tooth back into the socket, hold it in your cheek ( to keep it in a moist environment and in your natural saliva) or in milk and attend your dentist immediately.

Good luck!


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