An avulsed tooth occurs when a tooth is completely dislodged from its socket. Avulsed teeth are dental emergencies and requires immediate treatment.

What causes tooth avulsion?

Knocking a tooth out of your mouth requires a significant amount of force. Most common causes of avulsed teeth are: fall, bicycle accidents, sports injuries, traffic accidents, assaults.

Can I treat an avulsed tooth myself?

An avulsed tooth requires immediate treatment to save the tooth. See your dentist as soon as possible. You should first treat the avulsed tooth yourself at the scene of the accident.

Pick up your tooth by the crown. Don’t touch the root (part that is usually below the gumline).

Avoid putting tooth in water if possible. Water can harm the root surface cells. You can put your tooth in a glass of milk, saline and your cheek, where saliva keeps it wet.

What should I do if I can’t find my tooth?

You may have swallowed/aspirated (breathed in) your tooth. See your health provider immediately for a chest x-ray to make sure your tooth hasn’t gone into your lungs. Swallowed teeth are usually harmless.

What should I do if I only find part of my tooth?

Never try to only put part of your tooth back into the socket. See a dentist as soon as you can. They may take a dental xray to look for root damage before treating your tooth.

How do dentist treat an avulsed tooth?

Most often, if you put your tooth back into the socket before seeing your dentist, the dentist will: make sure you have positioned your tooth correctly , splint tooth to the surrounding teeth for 7-10 days or more depending on condition, evaluate pulp condition and schedule a root canal if necessary.

If you stored your tooth, your dentist will: reinsert it, splint and schedule a root canal.

How do I take care after tooth reimplantation?

Avoid food that are too cold/ too hot, brush gently with a soft toothbrush after each meal, consume only soft food and liquid for 2 weeks.

Can I prevent tooth avulsion?

You may prevent a knocked-out tooth by wearing a mouthguard if you play sports. Mouthguards protect your teeth from trauma, especially during contact sports like football and hockey.

What is the outlook for people with avulsed tooth?

Prompt treatment of a tooth avulsion can save your original tooth. Good dental hygiene and regular check-up can help extend the life of your tooth. Your tooth may still serve you for many years but can’t predict how long reinserted tooth may last. Many complications can affect teeth reimplantation including anklylosis, Apical periodontitis, Inflammatory root resorption, Pulp necrosis.

When should I see my dentist about a reimplanted tooth?

You should see your dentist, if you experience bleeding, continued tooth pain, Swelling, Tooth discoloration.

An avulsed tooth happens when you lose your tooth due to accidents/injuries. You should preserve your tooth in milk, saliva/saline until you can get to your dentist. Reimplanted teeth need regular dental check-ups but can last for years only with proper care.