A knocked-out permanent tooth has roughly a 30-minute window for the best reimplantation odds — store it in milk and call our Brea office immediately. We hold same-day emergency slots for La Habra patients 7 minutes away, with emergency visits running $150 to $400. This guide walks the rescue minute by minute.
A knocked-out tooth on a Saturday soccer field in La Habra, a fall on the steps near Portola Park, or an elbow during a pickup game at La Habra High — the cause varies, but the clock is identical. The periodontal ligament cells on the root start dying within 15 minutes of the tooth leaving the socket.
Dr. Khoudari, DDS, has handled emergency dental trauma at our Brea office for over 20 years, and reimplantation outcomes track almost entirely with one variable: how the tooth was stored in the first half hour. Our office at 1800 E Lambert Road sits 7 minutes from downtown La Habra via Imperial Highway West.
Tooth out right now? Call ahead and book our same-day emergency slot at the Brea office →
What Should You Do in the First 5 Minutes After a Tooth Is Knocked Out?
Pick up the tooth by the crown — the white chewing surface. Never touch the root. The root surface carries the living ligament fibers that allow the tooth to reattach to the bone.
If the tooth is dirty, rinse it for no more than 10 seconds under cool water or milk. Do not scrub it, do not use soap, and do not wrap it in a dry tissue. Drying the root kills the cells that reimplantation depends on.
The single best move: gently push the tooth back into its socket and bite down softly on a clean cloth. A reimplanted tooth bathed in its own socket has the highest survival rate of any storage method.
How Should You Store the Tooth on the Way to Brea?
If the tooth cannot go back in the socket, storage medium decides the outcome. The goal is keeping the root cells alive and hydrated during the 7-minute drive from La Habra.
| Storage Method | Cell Survival Window | Recommended? |
|---|---|---|
| Back in the socket | Best possible outcome | First choice |
| Cold milk | Up to 60 minutes | Excellent backup |
| Saliva (inside cheek, adults) | 30-45 minutes | Good if no milk |
| Tooth-preservation kit (Save-A-Tooth) | Up to 24 hours | Ideal if available |
| Plain water | Under 20 minutes | Last resort only |
| Dry (tissue, pocket) | Under 15 minutes | Never |
Milk works because its pH and salt balance closely match the cells on the root surface. Most La Habra households have it within reach — that single carton in the fridge buys you a full hour of viability.
Call Before You Drive — We Hold the Chair Open
A 2-minute heads-up call lets our Brea team prep the reimplantation tray before you arrive from La Habra, saving critical minutes.
Book Same-Day Emergency Slot →What Happens When You Arrive at Our Brea Emergency Chair?
Dr. Khoudari examines the socket and the tooth within the first two minutes of arrival. The faster the tooth returns to the socket, the higher the reattachment success — so the exam moves quickly.
If the tooth is viable, Dr. Khoudari numbs the area, cleans the socket of any clot debris, and seats the tooth into its original position. The whole reimplantation takes 15-30 minutes under local anesthesia.
A flexible splint then bonds the rescued tooth to its healthy neighbors for 7-14 days. The splint holds the tooth stable while the ligament reattaches and the bone begins to anchor the root again.
Will the Tooth Need a Root Canal Afterward?
Most reimplanted adult teeth need a root canal within 7-10 days. The blood supply to the inner pulp is severed when the tooth comes out, so the pulp cannot survive even when the root reattaches successfully.
Dr. Khoudari times the root canal during the splinting period to prevent infection from spreading into the freshly healing bone. Baby teeth are the exception — knocked-out baby teeth are not reimplanted, since doing so risks damaging the developing adult tooth underneath.
What Does Emergency Treatment Cost for La Habra Patients?
An emergency exam at our Brea office runs $150 to $400, including diagnostic imaging. Reimplantation and splinting add to that depending on the trauma, and the follow-up root canal typically falls between $900 and $1,500 for the affected tooth.
We accept most PPO dental plans, including Delta Dental, Cigna, MetLife, Aetna, and Guardian. Dental trauma from an accident is often covered, and our front desk verifies your benefits before treatment so the cost is clear upfront.
When tooth loss results from an accident, medical insurance sometimes covers the trauma treatment alongside dental. We help La Habra families file dual claims whenever an injury qualifies.
See how our emergency team handles dental trauma, or book your visit →
Why Do La Habra Residents Choose Our Brea Office for Dental Emergencies?
La Habra sits at the northwest corner of Orange County, where Whittier Boulevard and Imperial Highway carry most of the cross-town traffic and the La Habra Heights foothills rise to the north. From downtown La Habra, our Brea office is 7 minutes east on Imperial Highway — faster than most ER wait times for dental trauma.
This matters because a hospital emergency room cannot reimplant a tooth. ERs manage bleeding and pain, then refer the patient to a dentist anyway — burning the exact 30-minute window the tooth needs. Driving straight to a dental office preserves the tooth's best chance.
In our 20+ years serving La Habra, La Habra Heights, and the surrounding north county communities, Dr. Khoudari has reimplanted teeth that arrived in milk within the hour with strong success — outcomes that depend on patients knowing exactly what to do in those first minutes.
Rated 4.9 stars on Google across our three Southern California locations, with same-day emergency availability built into the daily schedule rather than squeezed in as an afterthought.
Frequently Asked Questions About a Knocked-Out Tooth in La Habra
How Long Do I Have to Save a Knocked-Out Tooth?
The best window is 30 minutes, and reimplantation odds drop sharply after 60 minutes outside the socket. Storing the tooth in milk extends viability to a full hour, which covers the 7-minute drive from La Habra to our Brea office with time to spare.
Can I Put the Tooth Back in Myself?
Yes — gently reseating an adult tooth in its socket and biting on a clean cloth gives the highest survival rate. Handle it by the crown only, rinse for under 10 seconds if dirty, then call us immediately for splinting.
Should I Go to the ER or a Dentist for a Knocked-Out Tooth?
Go straight to a dentist — emergency rooms cannot reimplant teeth and will refer you out, wasting the critical window. Our Brea office holds same-day emergency slots 7 minutes from La Habra via Imperial Highway.
What If It Is a Child's Baby Tooth?
Knocked-out baby teeth are not reimplanted, because doing so can damage the developing permanent tooth beneath. Still call us the same day — Dr. Khoudari checks for fragments, infection risk, and damage to the underlying adult tooth.
How Much Does Emergency Dental Treatment Cost?
An emergency exam with imaging at our Brea office runs $150 to $400, with reimplantation and follow-up root canal billed separately. We accept most PPO plans and verify your benefits before treatment begins.
What If More Than an Hour Has Already Passed?
Still call us — reimplantation can succeed beyond the hour, and if the tooth cannot be saved we plan an implant or bridge. Bring the tooth regardless; Dr. Khoudari assesses every option before ruling anything out.
Dental Emergency in La Habra? Don't Wait.
Same-day emergency appointments at our Brea office, 7 minutes from La Habra. Call first so we can prepare before you arrive.
Book Emergency Visit →A knocked-out tooth in La Habra is one of the few dental situations where minutes genuinely decide the outcome. Keep the tooth moist in milk or its socket, skip the ER, and head straight to a dentist. The 30-minute window is short, but the 7-minute drive to our Brea office leaves room to save the tooth.
Call (714) 255-0516 or book your emergency visit online. Our Brea office is 7 minutes from La Habra via Imperial Highway — and we hold the chair open when you call ahead.
