My tooth was knocked out, can it be put back?

A permanent tooth knocked completely out of its socket is a true emergency where every minute counts. The chances of saving it are highest when the tooth is reinserted within thirty to sixty minutes. Pick it up only by the crown, the visible part, never by the root, because the delicate cells on the root surface are essential for it to reattach.

If the tooth is dirty, rinse it very briefly, just a few seconds, with milk or saline solution. Never scrub it and do not use soap. Then gently try to place it back in its socket the right way round, and bite softly on a clean gauze to hold it in place.

If reinserting is not possible, keep the tooth in a cup of cold milk, or failing that in saline solution or in the mouth between the cheek and the gum. Never let it dry out and never use tap water, which damages the cells irreversibly. A knocked-out baby tooth in a child is not reinserted, but still have the child checked.

Contact Cabinet Dentaire Dr. Imad Al Morabit immediately on 0536 33 22 30 or WhatsApp +212 677 677 707 during opening hours. If the accident happens outside those hours or comes with a larger head or jaw injury, go straight to the hospital emergency department.