Knocked-out tooth · Lynchburg, VA
Tooth knocked out? Act now, call now.
This is the most time-critical emergency in dentistry. The steps below take two minutes and give the tooth its best chance. Then call us: we answer around the clock and hold same-day emergency slots Monday to Friday.
Answered 24/7 · Same-day slots Mon to Fri
First aid: do these five things now
- 1. Pick the tooth up by the crown, not the root. The crown is the part you chew with. The root is coated in living cells that the tooth needs to re-attach, so keep your fingers off it.
- 2. Rinse gently if it's dirty. Use milk or saline and a soft swish, nothing more. Never scrub the tooth, and don't leave it soaking in tap water; both damage the root surface.
- 3. Try to reseat it in the socket. Line it up the way its neighbors sit and press it firmly back into place, then bite gently on a soft cloth to hold it there. Its own socket is the best storage container it has.
- 4. If you can't, store it in milk. A small cup of cold milk keeps the root cells alive while you travel. Saline is a good second choice.
- 5. Call 540-315-3725 immediately. The first 30 to 60 minutes are the best window for saving the tooth. Call from the car, from the sideline, from wherever you are, and we'll take it from there.
One more thing worth saying out loud: you don't need to do this perfectly. A tooth in milk and a quick phone call put you in very good shape. Take a breath. This is fixable more often than people expect.
What treatment looks like at our office
When you arrive at our Thomson Drive office, we get you into a chair fast; our 15 operatories give us room to say yes even on a busy day. We numb the area first, then clean and inspect the socket and the tooth. If you managed to reseat the tooth yourself, we confirm it's sitting correctly. If not, we seat it gently back into position. Then we splint it: a thin wire bonded to the neighboring teeth that holds the tooth steady, the way a cast holds a broken bone, while the root re-attaches over the next week or two. An X-ray confirms the position, and you head home with simple care instructions: soft foods, chew on the other side, keep the area clean.
Follow-up matters as much as the first visit. We see you again to remove the splint and check how the tooth is healing. Because the nerve inside a knocked-out tooth often doesn't survive the injury, most reimplanted teeth eventually need a root canal to stay healthy. When that time comes, Dr. Kim and Dr. Azevedo handle root canals in-house, so your whole recovery happens with one team that already knows your story.
If the tooth can't be saved
Sometimes a tooth is out too long, or the injury is too severe, and reimplantation isn't the right call. If that's where we land, we'll tell you honestly and without pressure. The good news is that the conversation about what comes next happens with the same team, in the same building. For most single missing teeth, a single tooth implant is the closest thing to getting your own tooth back, and there are temporary options that fill the gap cosmetically while you heal. You can read more about how dental implants work when you're ready; on the day of the emergency, our only job is getting you stable and comfortable. If cost is on your mind, the Virginia Dental Club ($279 a year) takes 20% off treatment for patients without insurance.
A note on baby teeth
If your child knocks out a baby tooth, do not try to put it back in. Reseating a baby tooth can damage the permanent tooth developing in the gum underneath it. Keep the tooth, use a clean cloth and gentle pressure for any bleeding, and call us. We'll take a look, make sure the adult tooth underneath is safe, and talk you through what to expect as it eventually comes in.
Preventing the next one
Most knocked-out teeth we see come from sports, and most of those were preventable. If you or your kids play anything with contact, collisions, or fast-moving balls, a custom-fitted mouthguard is cheap insurance compared to what you're reading this page about. Ask us at any visit; it takes one quick impression.
One number, any hour
Whether it's a Tuesday morning or a Friday night game, the number is the same: 540-315-3725. Our smart answering system picks up 24/7 and books you on the spot, typically into a same-day or next-morning emergency slot. Treatment happens during office hours, Monday through Friday 8 to 5, and if the accident happens outside them, the milk-and-call plan above protects the tooth until we see you.
Reviewed by Dr. Jihoon Kim, DDS, July 2026
Common questions
Frequently asked
- How long do I have to save the tooth?
- The first 30 to 60 minutes are the best window. That's roughly how long the cells on the root surface stay healthy outside the mouth, and those cells are what let the tooth re-attach. Reseating the tooth in its socket buys the most time; a cup of milk buys the next most. Whatever you do, call us right away so the rest of the visit is already arranged by the time you walk in.
- What if I call after hours?
- You'll still reach us. Our smart answering system picks up around the clock, nights and weekends included, and gets you scheduled on the spot, typically into a same-day or next-morning emergency slot. Treatment itself happens during office hours, Monday through Friday 8 to 5, so if the accident happens at night, keep the tooth in milk, get on the schedule right then, and come in first thing.
- Can I put the tooth back in the socket myself?
- Yes, and it's genuinely the best thing you can do for the tooth. Hold it by the crown, the part you chew with, and never by the root. If it's dirty, rinse it gently with milk or saline. Line it up the same way its neighbors sit, press it firmly into the socket, and bite gently on a soft cloth to hold it while you head our way. If it won't seat easily, don't force it; milk is a fine plan B.
- What if I can't get it back in?
- Put it in a small cup of cold milk. Milk keeps the root-surface cells alive far longer than water or dry air. Saline works too. What you want to avoid is scrubbing the tooth, wrapping it in a dry tissue, or soaking it in tap water, all of which damage the very cells we need.
- What happens at the visit?
- We numb the area, clean and check the socket, seat the tooth back in its natural position, and splint it to the neighboring teeth so it can heal without moving. An X-ray confirms everything is where it should be. You leave with clear care instructions and a follow-up visit already on the books.
- Will the tooth need a root canal later?
- Usually, yes. Even when reimplantation goes well, the nerve inside the tooth often doesn't survive the injury, and a root canal a few weeks later keeps the tooth healthy for the long haul. We watch for that at your follow-up visits, and the root canal happens right here in our office rather than at a referral across town.
- What about a knocked-out baby tooth?
- Don't put a baby tooth back in. Reseating it can injure the permanent tooth developing underneath. Instead, keep the tooth, comfort your child, use gentle pressure with a clean cloth for any bleeding, and call us. We'll check the area and make sure the adult tooth coming in behind it is safe.
- What if the tooth can't be saved?
- Then we say so plainly and walk you through replacement options with the same team, in the same office. For a single missing tooth, a dental implant is usually the sturdiest long-term answer, and there are temporary options that fill the gap cosmetically while you heal. Nothing gets decided in a rush, and nothing irreversible happens without your OK.
The sooner you call, the better the odds
Follow the first-aid steps, then call 540-315-3725. Any hour, any day, you'll hang up with a plan.