What to do if your child knocks out a tooth
Quick Clinical Answer
If a permanent tooth is knocked out, find the tooth, hold it only by the crown (never touch the root), gently rinse it in cold milk or saline without scrubbing, and attempt to reinsert it into the socket or store it in milk. Contact Kumar's Microscopic Dental Care immediately at +91 81972 80019 within 30 to 60 minutes for reimplantation.
First Step: Is It a Baby Tooth or a Permanent Tooth?
Permanent Tooth: Time-critical emergency. Immediate replantation within 30 to 60 minutes offers the highest probability of saving the tooth.
Baby Tooth: NEVER reinsert a knocked-out baby tooth. Reinserting a primary tooth can severely damage the delicate permanent tooth germ developing right beneath the gum socket.
Immediate Action Protocol for a Permanent Tooth (Minutes 0–30)
Follow these critical clinical steps immediately:
- Locate the tooth immediately: Pick it up by the white chewing crown. Do NOT touch the root.
- Gentle rinse if dirty: Rinse under cold running water or milk for 5 seconds. Do NOT scrub, scrape, or disinfect with soap or alcohol.
- Attempt immediate reinsertion: Gently insert the tooth back into its socket and have your child bite on a clean handkerchief to keep it in place.
- If cannot reinsert, keep it moist: Place the tooth in cold milk, Hank's Balanced Salt Solution, or have your child spit saliva into a small cup with the tooth.
- Call our emergency clinic line: Call +91 81972 80019 and travel immediately to Kumar's Microscopic Dental Care in Yelahanka New Town.
Related Treatment
Emergency Dental Care →Frequently Asked Questions
Can a knocked-out tooth be stored in plain water?
Avoid storing a tooth in plain tap water. Tap water causes the delicate periodontal ligament cells on the root surface to burst (hypotonic cell lysis). Cold milk or saliva is vastly superior.
What happens if we reach the clinic after 60 minutes?
Reimplantation may still be attempted, but the periodontal ligament cells may have lost viability, necessitating specialized endodontic stabilization and follow-up monitoring.