If you or your child has just knocked out a tooth, you must know that every minute matters! Losing a tooth can be terrifying, but acting fast can save your smile. If you’re in North York, call us immediately. We’ll guide you every step of the way.
Call our North York office immediately.
If an adult (permanent) tooth has been knocked out, follow these steps immediately before heading to our office:
For urgent dental care, please call (416) 250-5354. Appointment requests are subject to availability.
If your child knocks out a tooth, the first thing to check is whether it is a primary baby tooth or a permanent one. Never try to reinsert a baby tooth. Doing so can accidentally damage the permanent adult tooth that is still growing underneath the gums.
Even though we do not put the tooth back, you should still bring your child. Our experienced North York pediatric dentists will assess the injury and recommend the safest treatment path.
We often refer to the first hour after an injury as the golden hour. During this time, the cells on the tooth root have the highest chance of surviving. The ligaments that connect the tooth to the bone begin to die quickly if exposed to air. This is why keeping the tooth moist and protected is useful.
Once the tooth is back in its socket, we typically use a technique called splinting. This involves joining the knocked-out tooth to the healthy ones next to it using a thin wire or resin. This keeps the tooth stable while the bone and ligaments heal around it.
At Smile Avenue Dentistry, we offer emergency care for exactly these situations. You will head home with your knocked-out tooth treated.
Dental emergencies can happen to anyone, but we most commonly see them resulting from:
Pick up the tooth by the crown, not the root. If dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or saline, or gently with water; do not scrub. If safe and possible, place it back in the socket and bite gently on gauze. Otherwise, keep it moist in milk and seek urgent dental care. Contact our emergency dental team.
No. Do not reinsert a knocked-out primary (baby) tooth because this can injure the developing permanent tooth. Contact a dentist promptly for guidance and assessment.
Seek dental care immediately. The sooner a knocked-out permanent tooth is assessed and treated, the better the chance of a favourable outcome, although results are never guaranteed. Call (416) 250-5354 to ask about the earliest available assessment.
Keep the tooth moist in milk or an appropriate tooth-preservation solution. Do not let it dry out or wrap it in a tissue. Handle it only by the crown and bring it with you to an urgent dental appointment.
No. The outcome depends on factors such as the type of tooth, injury, time outside the mouth and how the tooth was stored. A dentist must examine the injury and explain possible treatment and follow-up.
Some eligible emergency examinations and treatments may be covered by the Canadian Dental Care Plan, subject to program rules and individual eligibility. Coverage is not guaranteed for every procedure. Check our CDCP information page and the official government coverage guide.
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