How should an avulsed tooth be managed in the field until dental care is available?

• A. Reimplant within minutes if possible
• B. Leave the tooth in place and wait for dental care
• C. Throw away the tooth
• D. Store in water

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that reimplanting a knocked-out permanent tooth as soon as possible gives it the best chance to survive. Putting the tooth back into the socket quickly helps preserve the cells on the tooth’s root that are needed for the tooth to reattach and heal in place. If you can reinsert it right away, do so after gently cleaning off obvious dirt and holding the tooth by the crown. Have the person bite down lightly on gauze to hold it in place and seek dental care immediately. If immediate reimplantation isn’t possible, keep the tooth moist in a suitable medium (such as milk, sterile saline, or the person’s saliva) and get to a dentist promptly. Do not store the tooth in water, and avoid reimplanting a primary (baby) tooth. These steps preserve the tooth’s viability and improve the chance of a good outcome.