When you get hurt and one of your teeth is knocked out, some fast thinking can help prevent the total loss of your tooth. Whether you were in a car accident or you sustained a punch to the jaw, a tooth can be knocked out of the socket. The missing tooth should be picked up right away and only handled by the crown of the tooth. If you touch the root, you can end up damaging the tooth. You can place the tooth back into the socket, and then head to your dentist for an emergency appointment. If you can't get the tooth back in, keep it in your mouth for moisture.

Protecting Your Missing Tooth

You will want to keep your displaced tooth moist, and only use water to clean it. Don't try to scrub the tooth, as you can damage it further. If possible, place the tooth in a cup of milk as you make your way to the emergency dentist. If you don't have any milk, you can keep the tooth in your mouth to keep it moist.

Get to the Dentist Immediately

A tooth that gets knocked out of your mouth can only be saved for a short period of time. Ideally, you will want to get to the dentist within 30 minutes. You might be able to have your tooth saved if the visit is within an hour, but any longer and it will be hard to put your tooth back in the socket. If you can't find an emergency dentist, you can try to go to the emergency room instead for help.

Put the Tooth in Yourself

If you can see the socket where your tooth was, rinse the tooth off with water and try to put it back in. Don't touch any part of the tooth except the crown. You can try putting the tooth in by pushing on the crown with your hand or by putting the tooth right above the socket and biting down gently. The goal is to get your tooth back into the socket as fast as possible to help save your tooth.

When you have a tooth that becomes displaced, it's time to act fast. Rinse the tooth with water, but don't use any other type of soap or cleaner. Only touch the crown, and try to put it back into the socket. If you can't, keep it moist and get help immediately. For more information, reach out to dental clinics like Milner Dentistry.

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