Accidents can happen to even the most diligent of us. An awkward bite into a hard food item or a blow to the face can generate enough trauma to cause a tooth to dislodge from its socket. If you suffer this dental emergency of knocking out a tooth, you need to seek urgent dental attention if you want to replace this tooth back in your mouth.
You can react with greater efficiency and confidence when you know what to do in this scenario ahead of this incident. And with a calmer and more certain demeanor, you can also act with more precise swiftness. Read on to learn which steps you should take to ensure the maximum chance of success in restoring a knocked-out tooth to your smile.
Preserve Your Tooth As Well As Possible
When a tooth falls out of its socket, the blood vessels in the tooth’s pulp lose their connection with vessels in the gums that link to the rest of the body. Without this link, the tooth’s health will begin to deteriorate right away. So you need to take swift action to preserve the tooth as well as you can.
Firstly, you should handle the tooth by its crown rather than its roots when possible. Touching the sensitive roots may lead to further damage to the tooth. This will make it harder for a dentist to reattach it.
Do not rub at the tooth with a cloth or other material, even if it is dirty. Instead, rinse it carefully with milk or water to clean it. Otherwise, you could hurt the tooth even more.
If you can, place the tooth gently back into its socket. The saliva will keep it moist and therefore better preserved. Do not force it into this position though. You can also tuck the tooth into your cheek for a similar effect.
If you worry about swallowing the tooth, you can also store it in a cup submerged in spit. You may also keep the tooth in a cup of milk or water. Milk works better at preserving a tooth because it contains nutrients that can nourish the tooth while dislodged.
Contact Your Dentist Right Away
Prompt action is crucial if you want to reattach the tooth back into its socket and restore this natural structure of your smile. Call your dentist or head straight to their office as soon as you can, preferably within one hour of knocking out the tooth. Beyond this time, you will see a reduced chance of successfully restoring the tooth.
Make sure to bring your knocked-out tooth with you to the emergency dentist appointment. The dentist will examine the tooth as well as the rest of your mouth for signs of additional harm. Then they will place the tooth back in the socket, keeping it in its position with a splint.
The tooth will reattach in three to four weeks, though it may take longer if the tooth suffered a fracture. If a dentist cannot restore this tooth successfully, you can go over tooth replacement solutions like dental implants to restore your oral health.