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Knocked-Out Tooth Dentists refer to a knocked-out tooth as an "avulsed" tooth. This is among the most serious of dental emergencies, but the damage isn't necessarily permanent. If you act quickly, there's a good chance the tooth can be saved. What You Can DoWhen a tooth has been knocked out, the nerves, blood vessels and supporting tissues are damaged, too. The nerves and blood vessels can't be repaired, but if your dentist is able to reimplant the tooth within an hour after it was knocked out, the odds are good that the supporting tissues will reattach and hold the tooth in place. It's essential to get to a dentist right away. In the meantime, here's what you should do
What Your Dentist Will DoReimplanting the tooth is a simple procedure. Once your dentist has flushed debris from the tooth socket, he or she will slip the tooth back into place, making sure that it's properly positioned. The tooth may be splinted to adjacent teeth with plastic resin or orthodontic wire. The plastic acts as a splint and keeps the tooth immobile. This makes it possible for microscopic fibers called the periodontal ligament to reattach and for the tooth to stabilize, which usually occurs in about two weeks. The tooth does not always reattach, however. If it doesn't reattach properly, the tooth may eventually fuse to the jawbone. This isn't the best outcome, because the tooth-to-bone attachment will cause minerals to leach from the tooth and be reabsorbed into the body. This occurs slowly, however. Your dentist will monitor this condition and may suggest further treatment. The nerves and blood vessels that were severed when the tooth was knocked out won't regenerate. Without treatment, the tooth may begin to darken. As the tooth dies, it will also weaken and become more susceptible to fractures and cracks. Because of this, you probably will need to have root-canal treatment to maintain the tooth and avoid an abscess.
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Pick the tooth up by the upper portion (the crown). Don't grab the root end. 