Dental Avulsion

Knocked out permanent tooth requiring prompt reimplantation

Step by Step

Find the tooth and hold it by the crown, the white part, never the root. If dirty, rinse briefly with milk or saline, or cold water if nothing else is available, without scrubbing. If the person is old enough and cooperative, a knocked out adult tooth can be gently pushed back into the socket the right way round and held in place by biting on a clean cloth. If this is not possible, store the tooth in milk, or in the person's mouth inside the cheek if they are old enough not to swallow it. Get to a dentist or emergency department as quickly as possible, ideally within an hour. Baby teeth should not be put back in. Seek emergency care for heavy bleeding or a head injury.