Knocked-Out Tooth Treatment
Teaneck, NJ & Roselle, NJ
 If a tooth has just been knocked out in Teaneck, Roselle, or anywhere across northern New Jersey, call RJ Dental at (551) 369-2001 right now – the first 30 minutes are when reimplantation has the best chance of working. A knocked-out (avulsed) permanent tooth is one of the few true dental emergencies. Time matters, but so does what you do with the tooth between now and arriving at our office, and the difference between the right and wrong handling can be the difference between saving the tooth and losing it.
The fastest path is calling us first. We triage trauma calls before scheduled appointments, and our front office can walk you through how to handle the tooth on the way in. The full action steps are below, but the short version: pick up the tooth by the crown (the white part), not the root. Don’t scrub it. If it’s clean, try to put it back in the socket. If not, store it in cold milk or saliva. Never in tap water.
What not to do: don’t rinse with tap water (it damages root cells), don’t scrub the tooth, don’t let it dry out, and don’t store it in tissue or paper. If you can’t get the tooth back into the socket, milk is the best transport medium most people have at home. Then call us and head in.
On This Page
First Steps After a Knocked-Out Tooth
If a tooth has just been knocked out, the next 30 to 60 minutes are when you have the best chance of saving it. Knocked-out tooth cases at RJ Dental fall under emergency dentistry and run through our trauma triage protocol. The steps below give you the best chance of going home with your own tooth, but the most important step is calling us right now.
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Pick up the tooth by the crown – Hold it by the white biting surface only, never by the root. The root has cells that need to stay alive for reimplantation, and handling them with your fingers damages them.
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Rinse only if dirty, and only with milk or saline – If the tooth has dirt or debris, rinse briefly with cold milk or saline solution. Never use tap water; it actively damages the root cells. Don’t scrub the tooth.
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Try to put the tooth back in the socket – If you can, gently push the tooth back into its socket. Hold it in place by biting down on a clean cloth or gauze. Reimplanting yourself is the best transport medium possible because the tooth’s root cells stay alive in their natural environment.
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If you can’t reimplant, store the tooth in milk – Cold milk is the best storage medium most people have on hand. Saliva (in the patient’s own cheek pocket if they’re old enough not to swallow it) is the second-best option. Saline or contact lens solution is third. Tap water is the worst option and should be avoided.
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Call us and head to our office – (551) 369-2001 connects you to our front office. We triage the call and prepare for your arrival. Make this call as soon as you’ve stabilized the tooth, not after. |
How Time Affects Reimplantation
The success rate depends heavily on how quickly the tooth gets back into its socket. If a permanent tooth goes back into its socket within 30 minutes, the success rate is highest. If it stays out for 30 to 60 minutes, success drops noticeably. After 60 minutes, success drops further as the root cells start dying. Past about 2 hours of dry time, reimplantation rarely succeeds, but the tooth may still be useful for diagnosis or short-term placeholder work. Even if you’re past the ideal window, call us – the decision about whether to attempt reimplantation depends on multiple factors, and we’d rather see the tooth than write it off based on time alone.
Baby Tooth vs. Permanent Tooth
This matters: knocked-out baby teeth (primary teeth) are NOT reimplanted. Putting a baby tooth back into the socket can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath the gum. If a child has lost a baby tooth from trauma, you still need to call – we evaluate the surrounding teeth and gum tissue, take an x-ray to confirm the impact didn’t shift the developing permanent tooth, and address any soft-tissue injuries. But the baby tooth itself stays out.
Your Knocked-Out Tooth Care Team in Teaneck & Roselle
Knocked-out tooth treatment at RJ Dental runs across two doctors based on what your case calls for. Whoever is in the office when you arrive performs the immediate reimplantation if the tooth is salvageable – the first 30 to 60 minutes are about getting the tooth back into the socket, not about which specialist sees you. After that, the case routes to the right doctor based on what comes next.
Dr. Shahin Ghobadi handles the surgical side of trauma cases. He completed an Oral Surgery residency at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center and manages the cases that need surgical extraction (when the tooth fragmented in the trauma) or socket preservation grafting (to protect the bone for a future implant). More on Dr. Ghobadi’s bio.
When reimplantation isn’t viable and the long-term plan is implant replacement, Dr. Richard Buffong handles the implant phase. He’s a graduate of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ and a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, with single-tooth implant placement as a core part of his clinical focus. Full background on Dr. Buffong’s bio. The handoff between Dr. Ghobadi and Dr. Buffong happens inside our practice, so you don’t coordinate care across separate offices.
What Happens When You Arrive at Our Office
By the time you arrive at our Teaneck or Roselle office, our front office has prepared the operatory based on the call. The first goal is reimplantation if the tooth can be saved; if not, we shift to stabilization and planning the replacement.
Triage and Reimplantation
On arrival, we examine the socket, the tooth (whether you brought it in milk or it’s already reimplanted), and the surrounding gum tissue. If the tooth is viable and the socket is intact, we reimplant the tooth (or confirm correct position if you put it back yourself), then place a flexible splint to stabilize it for 1 to 2 weeks. We may take an x-ray or use our Cone Beam CT scanner for cases where we need to confirm root condition, socket integrity, or whether the alveolar bone was fractured.
Follow-Up Plan
A reimplanted tooth is not done after the splint goes on. Most reimplanted teeth need a root canal within 7 to 14 days because the trauma typically kills the pulp. We schedule the follow-up before you leave, and either Dr. Hunponu-Wusu (who handles most root canal treatment in our office) or Dr. Buffong takes the next phase based on availability. The crown that protects the now-treated tooth comes after we remove the splint and the tooth has stabilized.
When the Tooth Can’t Be Saved
If the tooth is too damaged, has been out too long, or has fragmented in the trauma, reimplantation isn’t the right call. In those cases, we manage the empty socket, address any soft tissue injuries, and discuss replacement options at the same visit. Dr. Ghobadi handles socket preservation grafting at the time of the trauma visit when implant replacement is the long-term plan, which keeps the bone in shape for an implant placement later.
Treatment Paths Based on Outcome
 The treatment path for a knocked-out tooth depends on whether the tooth can be saved and what your bone, gum, and adjacent tooth situation looks like after the trauma. The paths below cover the most common outcomes.
When reimplantation succeeds, the tooth stays in place with a splint for 1 to 2 weeks while the periodontal ligament heals. A root canal follows within 7 to 14 days because the trauma almost always kills the pulp. A dental crown eventually goes on the tooth to protect it from future fracture. Dr. Hunponu-Wusu handles the root canal and crown phases in our office, so you stay with the same practice from immediate reimplantation through final restoration.
Sometimes reimplantation doesn’t fully take – the body resorbs the root, the tooth doesn’t reattach to the bone, or infection compromises the reimplanted tooth months later. When that happens, Dr. Ghobadi handles the removal in our office, and we move directly into discussion of replacement options at the same visit. The advantage of attempting reimplantation even when the success odds are uncertain: the bone preserves better around an attempted reimplantation than around an empty socket, which keeps your future implant options stronger.
When reimplantation isn’t viable, a dental implant is the most common long-term replacement for a single missing tooth. The advantage over other replacement options: implants don’t require modifying the healthy adjacent teeth (which a bridge would require), they preserve the bone around the missing tooth (which a removable partial denture doesn’t), and they function like a natural tooth. Dr. Buffong places the implant once the socket has healed (usually 3 to 6 months after the trauma if no graft is needed, sometimes longer with a graft). For details on the implant placement phase, see single tooth implants.
For patients who aren’t candidates for an implant or prefer a non-surgical replacement, a dental bridge or removable partial denture is the alternative. A bridge anchors a replacement tooth to the two adjacent teeth, which requires reshaping those teeth to receive the bridge crowns. A partial denture is removable and doesn’t require surgery, but it’s the least stable of the three options. Dr. Hunponu-Wusu handles bridge work in our office, and we coordinate the timeline based on when the socket has healed.
If the long-term plan is an implant, we typically place a bone graft in the empty socket at the time of the trauma visit. Socket preservation grafting prevents the surrounding bone from collapsing inward as the socket heals, which keeps enough bone for placing an implant later. Dr. Ghobadi handles the graft placement, and the grafted site heals for 3 to 4 months before implant placement begins.
Why Choose Our Team for Dental Trauma
Knocked-out tooth cases at RJ Dental go through a triage-first protocol – the front office takes trauma calls before scheduled appointments, prepares the operatory before you arrive, and walks you through tooth handling on the phone if you need it. Time matters most in the first hour, and our protocol is built around that hour.
Two things make us different on these cases. First, the practice handles the full sequence under one roof – immediate reimplantation, splinting, root canal follow-up, crown placement, or, if the tooth can’t be saved, surgical extraction, socket preservation grafting, and implant placement. You don’t get sent to four different offices for the four different phases of care. Second, the diagnostic toolkit is in the office, including the Cone Beam CT scanner for cases where we need to assess alveolar bone integrity or root condition before deciding on reimplantation.
We see knocked-out tooth cases at our Teaneck location for patients across Bergen County and at our Roselle location for patients across Union County. Both offices share the same trauma protocol, so the response is the same wherever you call. Same-day availability varies by office and by day – calling first lets us route you to whichever location can see you fastest.
 If your trauma was sports-related, we can also fit you with a custom sports guard to reduce the risk of another avulsion. We see avulsion cases from contact sports often enough that prevention is part of the conversation we have once the immediate trauma is stabilized.
Knocked-Out Tooth Treatment Cost and Financing
Cost matters, especially because knocked-out tooth treatment can range from a single trauma visit (if reimplantation succeeds and the tooth heals well) to a multi-phase treatment (if extraction, socket preservation, and implant replacement are needed). The fee depends entirely on which path your specific case requires.
Our front office team verifies your insurance benefits before treatment starts and gives you a written estimate as soon as we know the treatment plan. Most dental insurance plans cover the trauma visit, x-rays, splinting, root canal, and standard restorations, though coverage details for implants, grafting, and other replacement procedures vary widely by plan. Our insurance and financing options include details on the carriers we participate with and the financing partners we work with for patients without coverage.
If you don’t carry dental insurance, our in-house Discount Plan takes a percentage off our standard fees for members. Cost shouldn’t keep you from calling about an avulsion – getting evaluated quickly is what gives the tooth its best chance of being saved, and we work through the financial details after that’s handled.
Schedule Emergency Care
Don’t wait. Call (551) 369-2001 right now, even if it’s after hours. If the trauma is recent (within the last 24 hours), call rather than email. For non-emergency follow-up scheduling, request an appointment online. Our Teaneck office is at 865 Teaneck Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666. Our Roselle office is at 121-125 Chestnut St, Ste 201, Roselle, NJ 07203. Bring the tooth in milk if you couldn’t reimplant it yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to save a knocked-out tooth?
The first 30 minutes give the highest success rate. Success drops noticeably between 30 and 60 minutes, and past 2 hours of dry time the odds are poor. That said, raw time isn’t the only variable – the storage medium, how well the tooth was preserved on the way in, the patient’s age, and root surface condition all shape the decision. We evaluate every case based on those factors rather than treating time as the only variable, and we’d rather you call past the window than write a tooth off without our seeing it.
Should I put the tooth back in myself, or wait for the dentist?
Yes, if you can do it gently. Reimplanting the tooth in its socket immediately is the best transport medium possible – the tooth’s root cells stay alive in their natural environment. Hold the tooth by the crown only (not the root), gently push it into the socket, and bite down on a clean cloth or gauze to hold it in place. If it doesn’t slide in easily or there’s significant resistance, don’t force it – store it in milk and let us reposition it. Don’t try to reimplant a baby tooth; only permanent teeth go back into the socket.
What’s the best way to transport the tooth?
Cold milk is the best transport medium most people have at home – the calcium and pH preserve the root cells. Saliva (held in the patient’s own cheek pocket if they’re old enough not to swallow it) is the second-best option. Saline solution or contact lens solution is third. Never use tap water – the salinity is wrong and tap water actively damages the root cells you’re trying to save. If you have nothing else, milk is almost always available.
Can a baby tooth be put back in?
No. Don’t put baby teeth (primary teeth) back into the socket because doing so can damage the developing permanent tooth underneath the gum. The right call when a child has lost a baby tooth from trauma is to still bring them in – we check whether the impact disrupted the developing permanent tooth (sometimes the same trauma can shift the developing tooth even though it’s not visible), evaluate any soft-tissue injuries, and confirm the impact didn’t loosen the surrounding teeth. The baby tooth doesn’t need replacement because the permanent tooth is on its way.
What if it’s been more than an hour?
Call anyway. Past the 60-minute window, the success rate drops, but the right answer still depends on the specific situation: the tooth’s preservation, the storage medium, the patient’s age, and a few other factors. We can still reimplant some teeth past 1 to 2 hours with a reasonable chance of working. Others past that window need extraction and replacement planning instead. We make that decision after seeing the tooth, not over the phone.
Will I need a root canal even if the tooth is saved?
Almost always, yes. The trauma that knocks a tooth out also typically severs the blood supply to the pulp, which means the pulp tissue dies even if the tooth itself reattaches successfully to the bone. Most reimplanted teeth need a root canal within 7 to 14 days of the trauma to remove the now-non-vital pulp before infection sets in. We schedule that follow-up at the trauma visit before you leave.
Should I go to the ER or the dentist for a knocked-out tooth?
Call us first. For a knocked-out tooth specifically, our office is the better path than the ER because we can actually reimplant the tooth – the ER doesn’t typically do dental work. The exception: if the trauma involved significant facial injury, head injury, severe bleeding, or trouble breathing, go to the ER first to manage the immediate medical issues, and we’ll see you for the dental work after. Most isolated dental trauma cases route through emergency dentistry and finish faster at our office than they would at an ER.
Why should I see RJ Dental for knocked-out tooth treatment in Teaneck or Roselle, NJ?
Same-day trauma triage, in-office surgical and implant capability, and a coordinated care path under one roof. Our front office takes trauma calls before scheduled appointments and prepares the operatory before you arrive. Dr. Ghobadi handles the surgical side (extractions, socket grafting), Dr. Buffong handles implant placement when reimplantation isn’t viable, and the same practice manages the splinting, root canal, and final crown if reimplantation succeeds. Patients across Teaneck, Roselle, and the surrounding Bergen and Union County communities don’t have to coordinate care across multiple offices. |
