A permanent tooth that has been knocked out can often be put back if it's replanted within about an hour. Pick it up by the crown, not the root, keep it moist in milk or your own saliva, and call (863) 555-0170 right away. During office hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, we see you immediately.
The $70 is a minimum fee for patients paying without insurance. It covers a limited, problem-focused emergency exam (ADA code D0140) and the X-ray needed to diagnose the tooth. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Same-day appointments · $70 exam + X-ray · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
What to do in the first ten minutes
- Find the tooth. Handle it by the white part only. Don't scrub the root; the fibers on it are what let it reattach.
- Rinse it briefly in milk or saline if it's dirty. A quick rinse under cool water is acceptable if that's all you have. No soap, no wiping.
- Put it back if you can. For an adult tooth, gently press it into the socket the right way round and bite softly on a cloth to hold it. This is the single most helpful thing you can do.
- If it won't go back, keep it in milk, in a tooth-saver kit, or tucked inside your cheek. Not in water, and not dry in a tissue. In Florida heat, don't leave it in a hot car.
- Call us and come straight over.
Baby teeth are different. A knocked-out baby tooth is not replanted, because doing so can damage the adult tooth forming underneath. The child should still be seen the same day to check for other injuries.
Signs you need to be seen today
- A permanent tooth fully out of its socket
- A tooth pushed out of position, sideways or deeper into the gum, but still attached
- A tooth that's suddenly loose after a blow
- Bleeding from the gum or the socket that won't stop with pressure
- A broken tooth from the same injury (see broken tooth repair)
A head injury with loss of consciousness, a possible broken jaw, or a cut that needs stitches goes to an emergency room first. Bring the tooth with you and call us afterward.
What happens at your same-day visit
Our dentist checks the socket and the neighboring teeth and takes an X-ray to look for root fractures and bone damage. If the tooth is out, it's cleaned and replanted, then splinted to the teeth beside it with a thin wire or bonded strip so it can heal in place. If the tooth is displaced but still attached, it's moved back into position and splinted the same way.
A replanted tooth almost always needs a root canal within the following week or two, because the nerve supply was severed when the tooth came out. Our dentist schedules that follow-up and explains the plan and the written price before anything begins.
Cost of knocked-out tooth treatment in Winter Haven
The $70 exam and X-ray come first for patients paying without insurance; replanting, splinting and any later root canal are priced separately and quoted in writing. Most PPO dental plans and several Medicare Advantage plans are accepted, and Cherry and CareCredit financing are available. More on the cost and insurance page.
Why patients choose our Winter Haven office
Because we answer the phone at any hour and open at 8:00 AM. If the injury happens after 2:00 PM or on a weekend, the answering service holds you the first slot the next morning, and the instructions above keep the tooth alive in the meantime. Splinting, root canals and follow-up all happen in our office. Spanish is spoken by our staff during office hours.
Knocked-out tooth care near you in Winter Haven
We're at 1178 Havendale Blvd NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881, on Havendale Boulevard NW just west of US 17. From a ballfield in Inwood or Jan Phyl Village, or a pool in Lake Alfred, you can be in our chair within about fifteen minutes. Parking on site.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a knocked-out tooth survive outside the mouth?
The cells on the root start dying within about 30 minutes when dry. In milk or saliva they last longer, sometimes a few hours. The sooner the tooth is replanted, the better its chances; call (863) 555-0170 the moment it happens.
What if the tooth was knocked out on a Saturday?
Put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and call. The answering service reaches us for a same-day injury during the week, and on a weekend holds you the first Monday slot at 8:00 AM. If it's an adult tooth and you can't get it back in, an emergency room can sometimes replant it; call us afterward for the splint and follow-up.
Will the replanted tooth last?
Many do, for years, especially when replanted quickly and followed by a root canal. Some eventually fuse to the bone or shorten at the root and need replacing later. Our dentist will be honest about the odds once the X-ray is taken.
What about a child's baby tooth?
Don't replant it. Control the bleeding with gentle pressure, keep the child calm, and call us the same day so we can check the gum, the neighboring teeth and the developing adult tooth underneath.