That’s wild—my daughter lost her front tooth at a playground last year, and I totally get the panic. I remember just staring at the tooth in my hand, not even sure which way was up. I’d heard about the milk trick but couldn’t remember if it was just an old wives’ tale or not. We ended up wrapping it in a wet paper towel (not ideal, I know), and the dentist said milk or saliva would’ve been better, but acting fast was the main thing.
I’m with you on the whole saliva thing...I know it’s supposed to be “best” but in the heat of the moment, there’s just no way I could pop a bloody tooth in my mouth. Maybe some folks are braver than me! Did your dentist say anything about how long you can keep a tooth in milk before it’s too late? I’ve always wondered if there’s a time limit or if it buys you a decent window to get help.
- Totally agree, I could never do the saliva thing either, especially with all the blood and freak-out vibes in the moment.
- Dentist told us milk is good for maybe 30-60 mins, but after that, chances drop. Honestly, we were scrambling so much that time felt like it just disappeared.
- I’ve also heard some people say sports drinks or saline work in a pinch, but the dentist seemed to think milk is best if you can’t just pop the tooth back in.
- Anyone actually tried putting the tooth back themselves? I chickened out and just held onto it until we got to the dentist.
- Curious if anyone’s had a tooth reimplant actually “take” after it was out for a while...or is it mostly just luck/timing?
I’ve actually had to deal with this when my kid knocked out his front tooth during a soccer game. I panicked and just grabbed a clean cup, filled it with milk, and tossed the tooth in. I remember the dentist saying, “You did the right thing,” but he also said if you can get it back in the socket right away, that’s even better—just not always realistic with all the chaos and blood.
“Anyone actually tried putting the tooth back themselves? I chickened out and just held onto it until we got to the dentist.”
Same here, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The dentist managed to reimplant it, but it didn’t last long-term—he needed an implant a year later. Timing really seems to be everything, but honestly, I think luck plays a part too.
I totally get the hesitation—trying to shove a bloody tooth back in your kid’s mouth isn’t exactly on my parenting bingo card either. I went with milk too, mainly because it was handy and, let’s be real, cheaper than some fancy tooth-saving kit. Dentist said it was fine, but I swear half of this is just luck. If there’s a next time (please no), maybe I’ll be brave enough to try popping it back in... or maybe not.
“trying to shove a bloody tooth back in your kid’s mouth isn’t exactly on my parenting bingo card either.”
Can’t even blame you for sticking with milk—I’ve been there, except it was my niece and a playground faceplant. I chickened out on the whole “pop it back in” thing too. Something about blood and tiny wailing humans just fries my brain. Dentist told me saliva’s technically good, but the idea of making her hold a tooth in her cheek? Not happening. Honestly, I think half of us are just winging it and hoping for the best.
