5 Things to Do if Your Child's Tooth Gets Knocked Out

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If your child comes home from practicing their sport and has knocked out a tooth, you need to know what to do about it. You want to make sure that your child continues to have a tooth there. So, what should you do?

Rinse the Tooth

You want to carefully rinse off the tooth. Don't scrub off the tooth, just rinse it off under some gently running cool water. Do not hold the tooth by the root. Holding the tooth by root can damage the root and can cause the tooth to not heal. 

Put the Tooth Back

Gently try to put the tooth back into the socket. The best place for the tooth is in the socket and if you can get it back in there, then the tooth has a better chance of healing. Make sure that you are careful so that you can figure out which side is the front and which is the back. You don't want to have the tooth disturbed any more than necessary. 

Use Gauze

If you can't get the tooth back in your child's mouth, then you want to put some gauze in their mouth near or on the socket, if they are still bleeding. Biting down on the gauze can help stop any bleeding. It may also help your child deal with any pain or any anxiety they may have over the injury. Biting down on the gauze gives them something to do, which can be calming. 

Use Milk

If the tooth doesn't get put back in the socket, you want to make sure that it stays moist. You don't want to let it dry out. There are two ways that you can keep it moist. One is that you can put it in a container that has enough milk to cover the tooth in it. Another option is to put the tooth in that same container with enough spit to cover it. You may find that it is easier to get enough milk for the tooth, while your child may think that spitting into the container is going to be a lot of fun. Don't use water. Milk has a pH that is similar to saliva so isn't damaging to the tooth. 

Call the Dentist

No matter what happens, you want to make sure you call the dentist as soon as possible. You may have to get an emergency appointment in order to get the tooth put back in the socket. If you were able to get the tooth back in, your dentist will want to look at it to make sure that it is going to heal up well. 

If your child has a tooth knocked out, click for more info to make sure that you get it handled correctly and quickly.


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