Dental avulsion

Dental avulsion is the complete displacement of a tooth from its socket, usually caused by trauma. It is a dental emergency because prompt handling and replantation can affect whether the tooth survives.

Periodontal ligament: A fibrous connective tissue that anchors a tooth to its socket and cushions forces during chewing. Avulsion tears this ligament; surviving cells on the root help determine whether replantation succeeds.
Tooth rescue box: A container with a tissue-compatible liquid used to preserve an avulsed tooth during transport. It can keep root-surface cells viable when immediate replantation is not possible.
Tooth luxation: A displacement or loosening injury to a tooth that remains at least partly within its socket. Unlike avulsion, luxation leaves the tooth in the socket, though it may be displaced or mobile.
Permanent tooth: A tooth in the second set that replaces a primary tooth and is intended to remain through adulthood. Replantation is generally considered for an avulsed permanent tooth when circumstances allow.
Tooth replantation: The reinsertion of a tooth into its socket after it has been displaced or removed. Replantation is the principal tooth-preserving response to avulsion when conditions permit.
Milk as a tooth-storage medium: A readily available liquid used to temporarily store an avulsed tooth outside the mouth. Milk can help preserve periodontal ligament cells during transport for urgent dental care.
Intrusive luxation: A dental injury in which a tooth is driven deeper into its socket. It displaces the tooth inward rather than completely out of the socket.
Primary tooth: A tooth in the first, temporary set of teeth in childhood. An avulsed primary tooth is generally not replanted because treatment could harm the developing permanent successor.
Root resorption: The loss of root structure through biological breakdown, which can follow injury or infection. Damage to the root surface after avulsion can trigger resorption and threaten the replanted tooth.
Hank's balanced salt solution: A buffered salt solution formulated to maintain cells outside the body for limited periods. It is used in some tooth-preservation kits to support root-surface cell viability.

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IncisorRelated: Exposed front incisors are especially vulnerable to traumatic displacement in humans.