Stay calm! Knocked-out teeth can be saved by acting quick and following these instructions:
Step 1: Pick up the tooth by the crown NOT the root
Find the tooth at the site of the accident and carefully pick it up from the crown or chewing surface. Avoid touching the root of the tooth (the part that goes under the gum) as it can be damaged easily.
Step 2: Clean the tooth with milk
Rinse the tooth with milk to clean any debris and dirt from it. Don’t wipe it off with tissue, shirt or any other fabric.
Step 3: Reposition the tooth in the socket immediately
Keep in mind that young children might not be able to keep the tooth in their mouth without swallowing, in this case, you might prefer to place the tooth in a glass of milk or a container with the child’s saliva
Step 4: Hold the tooth in place by getting your child to gently bite on handkerchief or clean cloth
This will also help with not swallowing the tooth by mistake.
Step 5: keep the tooth moist at all times
Keep the tooth moist with saliva or milk. This is very important, especially if you were unable to reposition the tooth back in the socket.
Step 6: Seek professional help from a dentist as soon as possible
Based on the condition of the tooth and how long it’s been outside of the mouth, your dentist might suggest a range of different treatment plans to treat the knocked-out tooth.
All teeth are important and serve a purpose, so the most important things you can do is to try to save the tooth and take your child to see a dentist.