Can You Put a Knocked-Out Tooth Back in Its Socket Yourself?

If your tooth gets knocked out, you might think you can fix the issue all on your own. Wouldn’t it be as simple as setting the pearly white in its original place, as well as biting a bit? Even so, you can’t actually put a knocked-out tooth back in its socket yourself. You’ll need the help of a trained emergency dentist to solve the problem at hand. For more details, read this primer on how you can save a knocked-out tooth!

No, You Can’t Put the Tooth Back Yourself

Putting a knocked-out tooth “back in place” can look simple, especially if it’s still intact. However, this process isn’t something you can handle alone.

The truth is that non-dentists lack the training and resources for this job. For example, you likely won’t be able to clean the tooth enough to put it back in your mouth safely. You also won’t have the tools needed to keep the knocked-out tooth from falling out again; biting it a lot won’t stabilize it.

Given the points above, you can take some initial steps to resolve things yourself. You just can’t handle the entire process without outside help.

What You Should Do Instead

When (or if) you suffer a knocked-out tooth, you mustn’t try to handle everything alone. You should instead do the following:

Handle It Carefully

Once you’ve found the affected pearly white, don’t pick it up recklessly. Make sure you grab and handle it by the crown – the part of the tooth you see when you smile. If you hold it by the root, you’ll further damage your chomper and risk its ability to go back in your mouth.

Rinse the Tooth Thoroughly

The knocked-out tooth may have gathered debris when it fell from your mouth. Therefore, remember to rinse it gently with water. This process shouldn’t involve scrubbing with soap, as exerting too much force could compromise your tooth even more.

See a Dentist ASAP

After (temporarily) returning your tooth to your mouth, see your local dentist as soon as possible for care. They can potentially reimplant your smile’s lost part if you act within 30 to 60 minutes! In that scenario, the dentist would check the tooth for damage, stabilize it, and confirm whether treatment is possible.

While you can’t put a knocked-out tooth back in its socket yourself, don’t lose hope. Just see your dental practice to save your smile quickly!

About the Practice

Rubal Dentistry Azle is based in Azle, TX. Led by Drs. Frank and Jodie Rubal, our practice is always eager to give patients the healthy, stable, and beautiful smiles they deserve. We thus offer a comprehensive range of services, which includes everything from standard dental checkups to complex dental implants. Our team can also handle dental emergencies like knocked-out teeth. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (817)-444-2585.