You’re holding a tooth that was in someone’s mouth a minute ago. What now? From Acton, handle it by the crown, keep it moist, and phone us to explain what happened and when. A knocked-out permanent tooth needs emergency dental care without waiting.
A tooth knocked fully out is the most time-sensitive dental injury, but it isn’t the only kind. Teeth also chip, loosen, shift position or fracture below the gum, and cuts to the lips and gums are common alongside them. Even when the damage looks limited, more may be going on than the eye can see.
Pick up the phone as soon as first aid is under way. We’ll want to know how and when the injury happened, and whether this is a baby tooth or an adult one if you can say. Report any other injuries. Someone with a serious head, face or jaw injury may need the hospital before dental care is planned.
The call is where we decide together what to do next and check when you can be seen. Online forms are too slow for this. If you can’t get through, or we can’t help right away, take the tooth to another emergency dental provider, especially when it is a permanent one.
Make sure the injured person is all right first. Then note the time and what you’ve done. If a tooth or piece is unaccounted for, say so rather than assuming it is lying on the floor.
Go for emergency dental care immediately. Touch only the crown. Dirt can be rinsed away briefly with milk or saline; never scrub, and don’t use soap. If you’re sure it is permanent and it’s safe, guide it gently into the socket without force and bite on clean gauze. If you can’t, keep it covered in milk and bring it straight away.
Knocked-out baby teeth are not put back. If you can’t tell the type, keep the tooth in a small container of milk and get professional advice right away. A child mustn’t hold the tooth in their mouth, since they could swallow or inhale it.
Phone soon and describe any change in position, how the teeth meet and how it feels. Don’t keep testing it, and don’t force it straight. Store broken pieces in milk to bring along. Ask where the injury should be seen and mention other symptoms.
Call 911 or go to hospital emergency care for any difficulty breathing, heavy bleeding that won’t settle, a serious jaw or facial injury, or head-injury signs such as losing consciousness, vomiting or double vision.
At the first visit, the dentist works out as much as the findings permit about the injury and handles care that shouldn’t be delayed. Ask which teeth and soft tissues are affected and how they’re being protected. A shallow chip is a very different job from a tooth that was knocked out and put back.
The plan should also be clear about its limits. Some effects of an injury surface only at later checks, so a tooth that feels comfortable after day one may still have changes to come. You should know why each follow-up is booked and who to contact if anything changes.
Patient information: American Association of Endodontists — updated trauma guidance and ongoing monitoring
Tell the dentist how long it was out, what it was stored in, and whether anyone tried to replant it. The time, cause and first aid all inform decisions. Say what you know and leave gaps unfilled. If you were seen elsewhere first, bring any notes.
Baby teeth, children’s permanent teeth still developing and fully grown adult teeth can need distinct approaches. Ask how this shapes your plan. An injury that looks the same as someone else’s won’t necessarily be treated the same way.
Find out what later appointments will check and whether the plan may change. Reviews assess healing and can uncover complications that weren’t clear at the start. Discuss them early, not only once appearance is the topic.
Depending on the injury, this appointment may involve assessment, stabilizing the tooth, treatment or a referral. Ask which steps are urgent and which can be decided once more is known.
Explain when and how it happened, how the tooth was stored, and any treatment since. Mention other missing teeth or pieces, health conditions, medications and allergies. If there was a medical assessment for other injuries, share it.
The dentist checks the injured area and considers which images and tests are indicated. Ask which teeth need watching, including neighbours that look unaffected. If another setting or specialist is advised, the reason should be explained.
Go through the proposed treatment, comfort, alternatives and fees. Care may involve replanting or repositioning and splinting a tooth, protecting a fracture, or planning further treatment. Ask whether the result is temporary and what might follow.
Confirm home cleaning, diet, activity and follow-up advice for your injury. Ask how to contact the team if something comes up. Keep appointment details handy, especially if more than one provider is involved.
Home care depends on the injury, the tooth type and what treatment was done. A replanted and splinted tooth, a restored chip and an injured baby tooth may each have different routines and review timelines.
Ask how to keep the area around the tooth or splint clean and which foods or activities to avoid. Don’t test the tooth by biting firm food or pushing on it. Call if the advice is hard to follow or something feels loose.
Call about increasing pain, swelling, drainage, a change in your bite, or any new concern. Mention the injury date and what was done. The team can advise whether your next review still suits or an earlier visit is needed.
Save details of the first treatment and share them if another clinician is involved later. Ask about any forms required for school, sport, a job or an insurer. Forms keep care connected; the reviews remain about healing.
Phone us about a recent injury, and use emergency services if they’re needed. These answers are for preparation and can’t stand in for an examination.
Phone our Bronte Street clinic about a knocked-out or injured tooth and ask what assessment is available. Tell us the time of injury and how the tooth was stored. If immediate help is needed and we can’t be reached, go to another emergency dental provider.
Online forms are for non-urgent enquiries only. Treatment, referral, follow-up, fees, and whether a tooth can be saved all depend on assessment; we can’t promise an outcome or an immediate appointment.
