This is the one concern on this page where you should stop reading and call. Handle the tooth as little as possible while you do.
Call (203) 869-2884Dental emergency
Tooth knocked out in Greenwich, CT: keep it moist and call now
A permanent tooth that has been knocked out can often be saved, but the odds fall away with every passing minute. Read the guidance below, then call us right away.
How urgent is it?
Same day
This is the one concern on this page where you should stop reading and call. Handle the tooth as little as possible while you do.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
Sport without a mouthguard
Lacrosse, hockey, basketball, and skateboarding account for most of the knocked-out front teeth we see in this area.
02
A fall
Small children and older adults both tend to lose front teeth to simple falls, usually onto a hard edge or corner.
03
A tooth already loosened by gum disease
A tooth that had lost bone support can come out under force that a healthy tooth would ordinarily absorb without issue.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Pick the tooth up by the crown, the part you chew with, and never by the root.
- 02
If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline. Do not scrub it, do not use soap, and do not let it dry out. The delicate film on the root is what allows it to reattach.
- 03
If you can, place it gently back in the socket and bite down softly on a clean cloth. If you cannot, place it in a cup of milk, not water.
- 04
Call us on the way. A baby tooth is handled differently: do not try to reinsert it, but please still call.
What we would do
At the appointment
We clean and examine the socket, check the neighboring teeth for fractures, and reposition the tooth if it can be saved.
The tooth is then splinted to its neighbors for a few weeks while the ligament reattaches, and we take a radiograph to confirm it is positioned correctly.
Follow-up matters more here than for almost anything else we see. A replanted tooth is checked repeatedly over the following months, and it often needs root canal treatment later even when it has settled well.
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
The first thirty to sixty minutes matter most, and a tooth kept in milk holds its chances far longer than one left to dry out. Even hours later, it is worth calling. We would much rather assess it ourselves than have you decide it is not worth trying.
It still calls for a visit today, but please never push a baby tooth back into place, as that risks the permanent tooth developing underneath. Bring the tooth with you so we can confirm the whole root came out.
Then we talk through replacing it properly, at a pace that suits you rather than rushing that conversation on the same afternoon. A bridge can fill the space, and we explain every option honestly, including referral where it makes sense.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.