Avulsed teeth

An avulsed tooth is one that is completely knocked from it's socket. Teeth are attached to the bone of the alveolus (tooth socket) by microscopically small fibers. Without these fibers it is difficult for a tooth to reattach. When a tooth is knocked out cleanly it may be re-implanted back into the empty socket where it may reattach. The success of the re-implantation depends upon many factors but the most important are:

How soon the tooth is reimplanted
How much damage has been done to the to the microfibers on the root surface.

Therefore, if you or someone else has knocked out a tooth, the following procedure should be followed as quickly as possible:

1. DO NOT CLEAN THE TOOTH. If debris needs to be removed the dentist will remove it very carefully.

2. KEEP THE TOOTH MOIST. Place the tooth in saline (salt water) solution, milk, or some other neutral natural solution for transportation. If possible, and if the tooth is not visibly contaminated, force the tooth back into the socket as far as you can.

Your dentist will attempt to reimplant the tooth and stabilize it with a wire attached to other teeth in the mouth and later will perform a root canal on the tooth to keep it from resorbing. (Resorbtion is the body's way of dissolving foreign material. When a tooth becomes non-vital (dies) the body sometimes recognizes the tooth as a foreign body and attempts to resorb it. It is generally not advisable to attempt to reimplant primary (baby teeth).