A Knocked-Out Tooth Can Be Saved — You Have 30 Minutes

Pick up the tooth by the crown (the white part you see when you smile) — never touch the root. If it's dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or your own saliva, not water (water damages the root cells). Try to place it back in the socket immediately and bite down gently on a cloth to hold it in place. If you can't reinsert it, keep the tooth in a container of cold milk — this preserves the cells that help it reattach. Get to a dentist within 30 minutes. After that window, the chance of saving the tooth drops dramatically. This applies to adult teeth only — do not replant baby teeth.