In Case of Bleeding:
Help control bleeding by biting down on a piece of sterile or clean gauze (if available – if not available, bite down on a washcloth) over the socket where the tooth was knocked out. Place a cold pack on the face/lip in the area of the knocked out tooth for 5-10 minutes per hour to help control bleeding and help reduce swelling at the injured site. For Children:
If your child has been struck in the mouth from an accident or other injury and one or more teeth have been partially knocked out (teeth have become loose) or completely knocked out (tooth/teeth have fallen out of the socket), take your child to your family dentist immediately.
Baby/Primary Teeth:
If the tooth/teeth that are knocked out are “baby” (primary) teeth, these teeth cannot be reimplanted, but still take them to the dentist. The dentist will examine your child’s mouth and may take a radiograph (X-ray) to see if any part of the tooth has broken off in the mouth.
For Children, Adolescents or Adults with Permanent Teeth:
If one of your or your child’s permanent teeth has been knocked out, pick up the tooth by the crown (not the root) and wash the tooth off in water. If possible, put the tooth back in the socket in your/your child’s mouth and bite down to try to hold the tooth in place while driving to the dentist. If the tooth has been partially knocked out (the tooth is still in the socket but is loose) leave the tooth where it is, do not attempt to push or pull on the tooth. If it is not possible to put the tooth back in the socket, place the tooth in milk (or water if milk is not available) in a zip-lock type of storage bag, and bring the tooth to your family or pediatric dentist immediately, or at least within one hour after the tooth was knocked out. It is critical to get to the dentist in less than one hour, preferably within 10-20 minutes of the tooth being knocked out, to have an opportunity for the tooth to be reimplanted and saved.
Do not wait to call the dentist for an appointment; the dentist will see you or your child quickly on an emergency basis to attempt to reimplant the permanent tooth. Your family or pediatric dentist may refer you or your child to an endodontist for emergency root canal treatment. If you or your child has other oral/facial injuries, your family or pediatric dentist may refer your child to an oral surgeon or physician, for example, to repair a laceration or evaluate any kind of jaw or facial trauma.
If you feel that your or your child’s injury is severe or life-threatening, call 911 immediately so that you or your child can get immediate medical attention and be taken to your nearest hospital/trauma center. Some signs and symptoms to be aware of that may be associated with a head injury are: nausea, vision problems, headache that does not go away and unconsciousness.
