Knocked-Out Tooth Treatment for Children in Noblesville, IN
Tooth knocked out? Get it into a cup of milk and call us now.
Keep your child as calm as you can and find the tooth. Pick it up by the crown, the smooth part that shows in a smile, and keep your fingers off the root.
If it’s a permanent tooth, try to put it back. If it’s dirty, swish it for a few seconds in milk or saline. Line it up the way it sat before, ease it back into place, and ask your child to bite down softly on gauze or a folded cloth. A baby tooth, or one you can’t identify, stays out.
If the tooth can’t go back in, keep it moist in one of these:
Then call (317) 773-5437Click to call us right away. Skip plain water, dry tissues, and pockets, since they damage the root. Get emergency care first if the fall involved a hard hit to the head, your child seems confused, or they start coughing or wheezing when the tooth can’t be found.
When you reach Smiling Kids Pediatric DentistryClick to open in this tab in Noblesville, IN, hand us the tooth and let us know roughly when it came out and what it was kept in. Those two details guide every decision we make next.
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Step 1: Check and Clean
We examine the socket, gums, and neighboring teeth and use dental X-raysClick to open in this tab to look for damage you can’t see.
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Step 2: Hold It Steady
A replanted tooth is secured with a thin, flexible splint attached to the teeth beside it, typically for about two weeks.
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Step 3: Plan the Nerve Care
A fully formed permanent tooth usually needs nerve treatmentClick to open in this tab within the first couple of weeks. Younger teeth with roots still growing are watched closely, since their nerve can sometimes heal on its own.
Plan on a soft-food menu for a couple of weeks, gentle brushing around the splint with a soft brush, and a break from contact sports.
We’ll check the tooth at set visits through the first year, then yearly for at least five years, since root problems can show up long after the injury. If the tooth begins to acheClick to open in this tab or turns dark before then, call our Noblesville office sooner.
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How long do we have to get the tooth back in?
Minutes matter. A permanent tooth put back within about 15 minutes has the best odds, and keeping it in milk or saline helps protect the root while you get to us.
Once a tooth has been out and dry for more than an hour, the root’s healing cells usually don’t survive. It’s still worth bringing it in, because putting a permanent tooth back is almost always the right call.
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What if my child won't let me put it back?
Don’t force it. A scared or hurting child may not hold still, and that’s okay.
Drop the tooth into milk and come straight to our office. If our office is closed, take your child and the tooth to the closest ER.
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Can we keep the tooth in water?
Try not to. Plain water harms the cells on the root that help a tooth reattach.
Milk is the easiest option for most families. Saline or your child’s saliva in a small cup also works if milk isn’t handy.
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What if the tooth is broken, loose, or pushed in instead?
Those are different injuries, but they still need a prompt visit. For breaks, see our chipped tooth repairClick to open in this tab page. For loose or shifted teeth, see pediatric dental trauma treatmentClick to open in this tab.
Our dental emergenciesClick to open in this tab overview covers everything else.
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Does my child need a tetanus shot?
If the tooth or the injury touched dirt, ask your pediatrician whether a tetanus booster is due.
It’s best to check within a day or two of the accident, then let us know what they recommend.
Choose Specialized Care for
Your Child’s Smile
Schedule your child's consultation and begin a steady journey of lifelong oral health.
9669 E. 146th St., Ste 260
Noblesville, IN 46060
Phone: 317-773-5437Click to call us
Email: info@smilingkidspeds.comClick to open in new tab
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
9240 N. Meridian St., Ste 250
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Phone: 317-580-9199Click to call us
Email: info@smilingkidspeds.comClick to open in new tab
Monday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
