Broken Or Knocked-out Tooth - Injuries & First Aid | NHS Inform

Broken or knocked-out tooth

Knocking out or displacing (moving out of position) a tooth is a dental emergency.

If an adult tooth is knocked out or displaced, try putting it back in place and go to a dentist immediately. Don’t try to re-insert a baby tooth – call your dentist or phone 111 for advice as soon as possible.

If you can’t put an adult tooth back into position, place it in milk and contact your usual dental practice. You may be able to see a dentist straight away or you may be directed to an urgent care dental service.

If you don’t have a regular dentist, you can phone 111 for advice on where to get urgent care.

If the tooth is just chipped, you should make an appointment to see a dentist to fill the tooth or smooth it down. This isn’t an emergency and can wait until the dental surgery is open.

Find your nearest dentist

A knocked-out tooth

If you knock out a tooth, you should:

• find the tooth
• hold it by the crown (the white bit that sticks out of the gum)
• lick the tooth clean if it’s dirty, or rinse it in water
• put it back into position (adult teeth only, never try to re-insert a baby tooth)
• bite on a handkerchief to hold the tooth in place
• phone your dentist or phone 111 for an emergency appointment (if you don’t have a dentist or it’s closed)

If you have a bleaching tray or mouthguard, you can put this into your mouth to hold the tooth in place while you wait to see a dentist. If you don’t have these, you can also use a foil bandage.

If you can’t put the tooth back in position, put it in milk and phone your dentist. If you don’t have a dentist or it’s closed, phone 111 for an emergency appointment.

The sooner a knocked-out tooth is re-implanted, the more likely it is to embed itself back into the gum.

If your child knocks out a baby tooth, you shouldn’t try to re-implant it because you may damage the adult tooth growing underneath. Take your child to see a dentist immediately.

At the dentist

If you’ve put your tooth back in yourself, the dentist will check that it’s in the correct position by having a look and taking an X-ray. They’ll splint it to the teeth either side to hold it in position for 2 weeks. Splinting is a technique that temporarily attaches the tooth to keep it in place.

If you’ve put your tooth in milk and gone straight to the dentist, the dentist will then carry out the appropriate treatment. They may need to numb the affected area and reposition the tooth. They’ll check that it’s in the correct position and they might take an X-ray. They might then splint it to the teeth either side for a few weeks but treatment options will vary depending on the damage done.

A lost tooth

If you can’t find your tooth, the space can be filled with one of the following:

• denture – a removable false tooth that you have to take out to clean
• bridge – where a false tooth is glued to the teeth either side using a special cement
• implant (not available on NHS) – where a titanium screw is placed in the jaw bone, and after a few months a mould is taken so that a false tooth can be made

Some of these treatments can be provided on the NHS.

Not everyone needs to have missing teeth replaced – some people don’t mind having a gap. Speak to your dentist about your options, to help you decide what you would like.

A broken or chipped tooth

If you have broken your tooth, try to find the fragment, store it in milk and see a dentist as soon as possible during working hours. The dentist may be able to glue the fragment back on to the tooth.

Don’t worry if you can’t find the fragment, your dentist will be able to use a tooth-coloured filling material to build your tooth up. If part of a back tooth is broken, it may either need a filling or a crown (also known as a cap).

If the tooth is badly broken and the nerves are exposed, it may be a little sensitive and may need root canal treatment. This involves removing the nerve and placing a root filling.

Protecting your teeth during sports

If you play a sport where there’s a risk of being hit in the mouth, you should wear a mouthguard to protect your teeth.

If you or your children are involved in playing or supervising sports where trauma is a risk, it’s important you know:

• how to reduce the risk of mouth or dental injury
• what to do in the event of mouth or dental injury

To have a mouthguard made, a dentist will take a mould of your teeth. The mould will be used to make the mouthguard. This type of mouthguard is known as custom made. They are comfortable, retentive and protect your teeth.

You can also purchase ‘boil and bite mouthguards’ (which are moulded using hot water) and ‘one size fits all’ mouthguards. Although these are better than not having a mouthguard, they offer less protection than a custom made guard.

The Dental Trauma UK website has more information about the management of dental trauma and mouthguards.