When a permanent tooth comes completely out of the mouth after a blow, it is called dental avulsion. It is one of the few dental emergencies where minutes count: the cells that keep the tooth attached to the bone start dying once the root dries out.
Five steps
- Hold the tooth by the crown, the white part you see when smiling. Do not touch the root.
- If it is dirty, rinse it for a few seconds with milk or saline. Do not scrub or brush it.
- Try to put it back in place, facing the right way, and bite gently on a handkerchief to hold it.
- If you cannot replant it, keep it in cold milk, saline or inside your mouth between the cheek and teeth. Never in tap water, paper or a napkin.
- Get care immediately. Ideally, reach the dental office within one hour.
Common mistakes
- Wrapping the tooth in paper: the root dries out within minutes.
- Washing it with soap or alcohol.
- Waiting until the next day.
- Replanting a baby tooth. Baby teeth are not replanted, because they can damage the permanent tooth developing underneath.
What we do at the office
We clean the area, reposition the tooth and hold it with a flexible splint for about two weeks. Depending on root maturity and how long the tooth was out of the mouth, we indicate a root canal and schedule radiographic check-ups over several years to catch problems such as root resorption early.
If the tooth cannot be kept, biological alternatives such as tooth autotransplantation exist, especially for children and teenagers.
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