Knocked-out adult teeth are often saved when they go back in the socket inside the first hour. Lift it by the crown (the white part), never the root, and call (859) 555-0147 from the field, the driveway or the car. We hold you a same-day slot, Monday through Thursday. Call ahead; walk-ins can't be seen.
The $89 covers the emergency exam and the X-rays needed to diagnose the tooth, for patients paying without insurance. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Same-day appointments · $89 exam + X-rays · Phones answered 24/7 · Se habla español
Knocked-out tooth: why the first hour matters
The root of a tooth is wrapped in a thin layer of living fibers that start to dry out within minutes of leaving the mouth. A tooth back in its socket inside an hour, kept moist the whole time, can often reattach. One that sat dry on a dashboard all afternoon usually can't.
Do this right now:
- Locate the tooth. Hold it by the white crown only.
- If it's dirty, give it a quick swish in milk or water, a few seconds at most. Don't scrub it, don't use soap, don't wrap it in tissue.
- Slide it back into the socket, right way round, if you're able, then bite softly on a clean cloth so it stays put.
- When it won't seat, set it in a small cup of milk. Your own saliva works when there's no milk handy; plain water only as a last resort.
- Phone us while someone drives.
A tooth that's loose or pushed sideways is urgent too. Don't wiggle it. Call. A tooth that chipped but stayed put is covered under broken tooth repair.
Head and jaw injuries come first. If you lost consciousness, your bite feels wrong, or your jaw looks off center, go to a hospital. The nearest emergency rooms are St. Elizabeth Edgewood, about 9 miles north of us, and St. Elizabeth Florence, about 11 miles. Hospitals treat spreading infection and injuries; they generally don't treat the tooth itself. Keep the tooth in milk meanwhile, and once you're cleared, give us a call.
What happens at your same-day visit
X-rays come first. They show whether the root is whole, whether a piece snapped off in the jaw, and whether the blow shifted the teeth next door. You hear what we found and get the price in writing before anything starts.
If the tooth is savable, we rinse it, seat it back in the socket, and ease it into position. Then it's splinted to the teeth on either side with a thin wire or strip of composite so it holds still while the fibers reattach. The splint comes off at a follow-up visit here. Many reattached teeth later need an emergency root canal, since the nerve rarely survives the blow.
When the tooth can't be saved (out too long, a fractured root, a socket too damaged to hold it), we say so, and we go over the options for replacing it with you. When a root has to come out, that's an emergency tooth extraction, done here the same visit.
Children's baby teeth are not put back in, since reinserting one can harm the adult tooth developing beneath it. Still bring your child in.
Cost of knocked-out tooth treatment in Independence, KY
For patients paying without insurance, $89 is the exam and X-rays. Any treatment is quoted in writing once the X-rays are read. With a PPO or traditional dental plan, we bill the exam and X-rays to that plan. Call with your card handy and we check before you arrive. Cherry, LendingClub and CareCredit can be used for treatment. Everything else about paying is on our cost and insurance page.
Why patients choose our Independence office
Three same-day emergency slots are held every open day, at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM. We're open Monday and Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and closed Friday through Sunday. The phone is answered at any hour. When we're closed, the answering service takes down what's going on and saves the first opening for you. After a Thursday-evening or weekend call, that's Monday at 9:00 AM. A knocked-out adult tooth can't wait that long outside the mouth, so on a Friday night, get it back into its own socket if you possibly can. Our dentists are licensed in Kentucky, and parking is on site here.
Knocked-out tooth care near you in Northern Kentucky
Our office is at 5302 Madison Pike, Independence, KY 41051, on Madison Pike (KY 17 Business) in the center of town, a short drive from Simon Kenton High School. From Taylor Mill, take Taylor Mill Road (KY 16) southwest into Independence, about 6 miles and 12 to 18 minutes. From Florence, it's Dixie Highway (US 25) to Mount Zion Road (KY 536), east as Bristow Road, then Independence Road (KY 2045), about 8 miles and 16 to 24 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a knocked-out tooth last outside the mouth?
The fibers on the root begin drying within minutes, and the odds of the tooth reattaching fall steadily after about an hour. Milk slows that down and buys time. Treat it as a right-now problem and call (859) 555-0147 as soon as the tooth is found.
Should I put the tooth back in myself?
Yes, as long as it's an adult tooth and you're able to. Rinse it briefly, line it up with the teeth beside it, press it in with steady finger pressure, then bite softly on a cloth. Its own socket keeps the root alive far longer than any cup. If it won't seat, milk is the next choice.
My child knocked a baby tooth out. Do I still bring it?
Bring the tooth, but don't try to put it back. A baby tooth pushed into the socket can injure the permanent tooth growing above it. We check that nothing is left in the gum, look at the neighboring teeth, and X-ray the developing tooth beneath.