A permanent tooth that's been knocked out can often be put back if it's replanted quickly and kept moist on the way. Pick it up by the white part, not the root, and call (941) 207-8431 as you head out. Our Osprey office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Call first; we don't take walk-ins.
The $99 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 · $99 exam + X-ray · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
What to do in the first hour
The hour after the tooth comes out matters more than anything we do later.
- Hold the tooth by the crown, the part you normally see. Don't touch the root.
- If it's dirty, rinse it for a few seconds in milk or your own saliva. No scrubbing and no soap. The root is covered in living fibers that come off easily.
- Try to put it back in the socket, facing the right way, and bite gently on a folded piece of clean cloth to hold it.
- If it won't go back, keep it wet in milk. An adult can hold it inside the cheek instead. Plain water is a last resort because it damages the root fibers.
- Call us and come straight in.
A tooth replanted within about an hour has a real chance of reattaching. Bring it even if more time has passed.
Heat is the enemy. A tooth left dry on a hot dashboard in August is far less likely to take. Keep it in milk, out of the sun, on the drive down US 41. If an afternoon storm is rolling in, come anyway.
Signs you need knocked-out tooth care today
- The whole tooth came out
- A tooth was pushed sideways or deeper into the gum but is still attached
- A tooth is loose after a fall or a ball to the face
- Bleeding from the socket that doesn't slow with gentle pressure
- A piece of the tooth broke off instead (that's a different repair; see broken tooth repair)
If you hit your head hard or blacked out, get checked at a hospital first, with the tooth in milk. Then call us.
What happens at your same-day visit
We take an X-ray to look at the socket, the root and the bone around it. If the tooth is already in place, our dentist checks its position; if it's in milk, our dentist rinses it gently and replants it. The tooth is then splinted to its neighbors with a thin wire or a bonded strip so it stays still while the ligament heals. We check your bite and set a follow-up.
A replanted tooth often needs a root canal within a couple of weeks, because the nerve inside rarely survives being out of the mouth. That's planned and priced as its own step; see our emergency root canal page. If the tooth can't be saved, we say so plainly.
Cost of knocked-out tooth treatment in Osprey
The exam and X-ray are $99 if you're paying without insurance. Replanting and splinting are priced separately and written down before we start. If you have a PPO plan, the exam and X-ray are billed to your plan. Sunbit, Cherry and CareCredit financing are available. Details are on our cost and insurance page.
Why patients choose our Osprey office
We open at 8:00 AM, so an early-morning accident can be seen right away. The phone is answered 24/7 by a real person; after hours, the answering service takes your details and holds you the first opening the next business morning. Our staff speak Spanish during office hours. Parking on site.
Knocked-out tooth care near you in Osprey
Our office is at 416 S Tamiami Trl Ste F4, Osprey, FL 34229, on US 41 (South Tamiami Trail) about a mile south of Historic Spanish Point. From Nokomis, take Albee Road or Colonia Lane to US 41 and head north through Laurel, 10 to 15 minutes. From Palmer Ranch, it's Central Sarasota Parkway west to US 41 and then south, 8 to 12 minutes. Vamo patients are closest, 6 to 10 minutes down US 41.
Frequently asked questions
Can a knocked-out tooth really be saved?
Often, yes, if it's a permanent tooth, it was kept moist, and it's replanted soon. The fibers on the root are what reattach, and they die when the root dries out. Bring the tooth even if you're past the hour; our dentist will tell you honestly what the chances are.
Should I put the tooth in water?
Only if there's nothing else. Water pulls fluid out of the root cells and damages them within a short time. Milk is close to the right balance and is easy to find at any gas station along US 41. Your own saliva works too, inside your cheek or in a small cup.
My child's baby tooth got knocked out. Do we still need to come in?
Yes, but for a different reason. We don't replant baby teeth, because doing so can harm the adult tooth developing above. We do want to confirm the whole tooth came out, that nothing was pushed up into the gum, and that the teeth on either side are stable. That's a short exam and an X-ray. Once a child's adult front teeth are in, the first-hour steps above apply to them too.