An adult tooth that's been knocked out has its strongest chance of going back in if it's replanted within roughly an hour. Call (385) 480-0270 right now and head for our 4500 South office in Salt Lake City. Handle the tooth by the crown only, never the root, and carry it in milk, or tuck it in your cheek. That call ahead is what gets a dentist ready for you.
The $99 emergency exam fee is for patients paying without insurance. It covers a limited, problem-focused emergency exam and the X-ray needed to diagnose the tooth. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Replanting and splinting are done here by our own dentists.
Same-day appointments · $99 exam + X-ray · Phones answered 24/7 · In network with four major plans
Signs you need knocked-out tooth care today
An adult tooth that has come out whole, root and all, needs a dentist today, as soon as you can get here. The cells on the root surface start to die once the tooth dries out, and those cells are what let it reattach to the bone.
What you do in the first minutes matters. Find the tooth. Hold it by the white part. A dirty tooth gets a quick swish in milk, no scrubbing. If you can, push it gently back into the socket and bite on a cloth to hold it. Otherwise, a cup of milk works, and so does the pouch between cheek and gum. Then call us. Coming down from the canyons, keep the tooth moist for the whole drive.
A tooth pushed sideways or up into the gum, but not out, also needs to be seen today.
If the same blow left you with a possible broken jaw, a cut that won't stop bleeding, or you blacked out, go to the emergency room first. St. Mark's Hospital is on 1200 East near 3900 South, about 2 miles northeast of our office. Hospitals treat facial injuries; they generally don't treat the tooth.
What happens at your same-day visit
Socket first, then X-ray: the dentist checks the bone and the neighboring teeth. If the socket isn't fractured, the tooth is gently rinsed and placed back in.
A thin splint, usually a flexible wire bonded to the teeth on either side, holds the replanted tooth still for a few weeks while the ligament reattaches. Because the nerve inside a knocked-out tooth almost always dies, the dentist will talk with you about an emergency root canal in the days that follow to keep the tooth from becoming infected.
If the tooth can't be saved, we can talk through replacement options, including a dental implant with bone grafting if needed, once the socket has healed. The written price for whatever is done today comes before any work starts.
Cost of knocked-out tooth care in Salt Lake City
For the uninsured, $99 buys the exam and X-ray. Replanting and splinting the tooth, and any root canal afterward, are priced separately and quoted in writing before the dentist begins.
Patients on one of the four plans we're in network with have the exam and X-ray billed through the plan. We take cash, credit cards, CareCredit financing and credit union financing for larger treatments. Our cost and insurance page has each billing step in order.
Why patients choose our 4500 South office
Same-day times are held Monday through Wednesday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Thursday, 8:00 AM to noon. Call first and the room will be waiting. After hours the phone is still answered 24/7 through a live answering service, and the first opening on the next office day is held for you.
We are in network with Delta Dental Premier, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Utah, SelectHealth and Cigna. Most other dental plans are out of network, and we submit the claim for you. Parking is on site. CareCredit and credit union financing cover larger treatments.
Knocked-out tooth care near you in the Salt Lake Valley
Our office is at 622 E 4500 South Ste 103, Salt Lake City, UT 84107, on the south side of 4500 South between State Street and 700 East, near Murray Park. From Murray, you're 3 to 6 minutes away. Holladay patients take 4500 South straight west, about 6 to 10 minutes. From Cottonwood Heights, the Van Winkle Expressway northwest to 700 East is a 10 to 15 minute drive.
Frequently asked questions
What should I put a knocked-out tooth in?
Milk is the first choice; your own saliva is the second, with the tooth held between cheek and gum. Never store it dry or in a tissue. Then phone (385) 480-0270 and head over. Every minute the tooth spends out of the socket lowers the odds of it reattaching.
Can a knocked-out tooth be saved after an hour?
Sometimes. The odds drop as the tooth dries, but a tooth kept in milk or saliva can still be replanted after an hour or longer. The dentist examines it and tells you plainly what the chances look like.
Can I replant the tooth myself?
Yes, as long as it goes in without force. Check that it's facing the right way, ease it in, and close gently on a cloth so it stays put. If it resists, don't fight it; drop it in milk and get here.
What about a knocked-out baby tooth?
Baby teeth stay out. Replanting one can harm the adult tooth developing underneath it. The visit is still worth making today, so the dentist can confirm nothing was left behind in the gum and check whether the adult tooth was affected. For a chipped tooth that stayed put, see our broken tooth repair page.