Whether it was a horrific sports injury that did the job, or from a simple bite into an apple, it is quite possible to have your tooth (or several teeth) knocked out. Before you know it, you find yourself holding a tooth in your hand, maybe with a bit of blood, wondering what to do about it.
But before you throw your tooth out – remember that it is actually possible to save it! It can be reimplanted too, as long as you act IMMEDIATELY.
Do Not Hold Your Tooth by the Root
The roots of your teeth are very fragile. In fact, you won’t be able to have them repaired if the root is damaged.
Firstly, rinse your tooth in water to remove any blood or dirt. Use milk, saline or even salt water if it is available to you. Place your tooth in a bowl for rinsing, rather than putting it under the tap which can increase the chance of damage.
Don’t use soap, and ensure you don’t scrape or brush at your tooth either. Remember not to dry your tooth.
If you’re in pain, apply some gauze over the affected area and press on it. Do this until the bleeding stops and use some ice on your cheek to prevent swelling and numb the pain.
Go to the Dentist ASAP
Keep your tooth in a secure place and head off to the dentist as quickly as you can. Remember, you tooth is alive, but it does begin to die after about 15 minutes of falling out of your mouth (though keeping the tooth in milk may increase its life). Regardless, the quicker you act, the higher the chance you can save your tooth.
The dentist will make sure your tooth is in the right spot and attempt to replant it. If you took the recommend steps from above, you should be well on the way to saving your tooth and have it settle back into place.
If you were unlucky enough to not have saved your tooth – don’t despair. There will be other options down the track such as implants, dentures or even a bridge.
Knocked out tooth do happen, and often by surprise, but there are precautions you can take. Keep your teeth strong and healthy by looking after them every day. If you’re playing a contact sport, use common sense and always wear a mouth guard.
If you’ve decided that you need to go to the dentist to reimplant your knocked out tooth, give Wisdom Dental a call on 1300 217 858.
