American Association of Endodontists: New Survey Finds People Don't Know What to Do to Save a Knocked-Out Tooth

Endodontists Share Tips to Save a Tooth in an Emergency During Save Your Tooth Month

CHICAGO, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fewer than half of Americans (46%) know that a knocked-out tooth can often be saved with prompt care, according to a new national survey of 2,000 adults, even as most say they would prefer to keep their natural teeth. In fact, nearly 7 in 10 respondents said saving a natural tooth whenever possible is usually the best option.

More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year in the United States among children and adults. Many incidents involve children under age 10 due to sports injuries and everyday accidents. Yet the survey, conducted by the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), indicates many people may not recognize how quickly action is needed in these situations. Just 27% of respondents correctly identified a 30-minute window as critical to improving the chances of saving a knocked-out tooth, while nearly a quarter (24%) said they were unsure how quickly to act.

"As endodontists, our specialized dental training in saving natural teeth can help not only patients experiencing a knocked-out tooth, but those suffering from severe tooth pain or infection as well as chipped or cracked teeth," said W. Craig Noblett, DDS, MS, President of the American Association of Endodontists. "While an extraction might seem like a logical quick fix, a root canal performed by an endodontist is a virtually painless procedure that can save a tooth and preserve the integrity of surrounding teeth that can shift due to an extraction."

While root canals are often misunderstood due to online misinformation or patients' overall misconceptions about the procedure, root canal treatment is an often straightforward procedure to relieve dental pain and save natural teeth. Patients typically need a root canal when there is inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth. During root canal treatment, an endodontist who specializes in such treatment carefully removes the pulp inside the tooth, cleans, disinfects and shapes the root canals, and places a filling to seal the space.

To help people understand the urgency to save a knocked-out tooth, Dr. Noblett offered these four important steps to save a tooth in an emergency:

• Handle the tooth by the crown or chewing surface and avoid touching the root surface
• Gently rinse the tooth with saline
• Insert the tooth back into the socket as soon as possible
• If the tooth can't be placed back in the socket, soak the tooth in an emergency tooth preservation kit or milk until further professional help is available

The survey also confirms that despite the trend in presenting a perfect smile thanks to cosmetically enhanced pearly whites, 44 percent of those surveyed said keeping natural teeth healthy matters more than having perfectly white/cosmetically attractive teeth – with 42 percent indicating that these two factors matter equally and only 6 percent rating attractive teeth over natural healthy teeth.

"It is very encouraging that people feel so strongly about keeping their natural teeth, which is why getting dental health information from a dental professional – particularly about procedures such as root canals when a problem arises – is vital," said Dr. Noblett. "Our survey found that about 78 percent agreed that they would do almost anything to avoid losing one of their natural teeth."

Dr. Noblett added that the best way to preserve natural teeth is to be proactive in caring for them with routine dental checkups and good oral health practices daily, which include proper brushing and flossing. In addition, seeking dental care quickly when a problem is suspected can lead to better outcomes rather than delaying care.

About the American Association of Endodontists
The American Association of Endodontists is a dental specialty organization recognized by the American Dental Association and a global resource for knowledge, research and education for the profession, members and the public. Representing more than 8,000 members worldwide, endodontists are specialists in saving teeth and have additional training and use specialized techniques and technologies to perform root canal treatment and diagnosis and treat tooth pain. Patients can find an endodontist in their area by visiting the AAE website at Find My Endodontist - American Association of Endodontists.

About the Survey
The American Association of Endodontists (AAE) commissioned Atomik Research, a research agency, to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between April 3 and April 8, 2026.

SOURCE American Association of Endodontists (AAE)