Knocked-Out Tooth — Minutes Matter
An adult tooth that is completely out has about 60 to 90 minutes if it is to be put back.
What is happening?
A knocked-out tooth has left its socket. Sports without a mouthguard, falls, bike and vehicle accidents, altercations, and workplace injuries are the usual events. Baby teeth are not put back in — a child with an avulsed tooth still needs to be seen.
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Common symptoms
- The tooth is out of the socket
- Bleeding from the socket
- Neighbouring teeth may feel loose as well
Is it urgent?
Always same-day — come within 60 minutes if the tooth is an adult tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown only. A child who lost a baby tooth still needs an exam, even though that tooth is not reinserted.
Call (416) 483-0000 →The first hour after a tooth is knocked out
Crown only
Find the tooth and touch only the crown, never the root. If it is dirty, rinse under cold water for no more than 10 seconds. Do not scrub.
Back in the socket if you can
The best place is the socket. Seat it gently and bite on gauze. Otherwise carry it in cold milk, saline, or inside the cheek — never dry, and not in plain water for long.
Baby teeth
Do not push a baby tooth back in. Still come in so we can check the adult tooth forming underneath.
Common causes
Sports without a mouthguard · Falls · Bike and vehicle accidents · Altercations · Workplace accidents
How we diagnose it
We confirm it is a permanent tooth, check the socket and the neighbouring teeth, and take an x-ray before and after any reimplantation. Time out of the socket is part of the assessment — tell us when it happened.
How we treat it
Reimplant when it is still possible
An adult tooth that has been kept moist and arrives quickly may be splinted in place. Success depends on the time and how the root was handled. We do not promise it will last.
If it cannot go back
We stop the bleeding, protect the space, and talk about a later replacement. That conversation is not the same hour as the accident unless you want it to be.
Sedation for this kind of treatment
Repositioning a tooth uses local anesthetic. If you are shaken and the work will take time, tell the person who answers the phone. Deeper sedation still has to be planned — it is not started in the waiting room.
Sedation optionsRelated pages
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? Our team is happy to help over the phone.
(416) 483-0000Can a knocked-out tooth be saved?
An adult tooth sometimes can, if you handle it by the crown, keep it moist, and arrive within about 60 to 90 minutes. We still examine it — time and root handling decide, not a guarantee.
Should I scrub the root clean?
No. A short cold rinse if it is dirty, no more than 10 seconds, and no scrubbing. The root surface is what lets the tooth reattach.
What about a child's baby tooth?
Do not put it back. Call and come in anyway so we can check the socket and the developing adult tooth.
Read this as education
These are common patterns, not a diagnosis of your tooth. Your dentist determines the cause during an examination.