If you are in the very unfortunate position of having a tooth knocked out (the “technical” term is Avulsed), please try not to panic. There are some important steps that may, in the end help you keep the tooth.
The first principle is prevention. The most common cause of a tooth being knocked out is during some form of sport, for example, Hockey, Rugby, Lacrosse, Boxing. Basically anything where something or someone is likely to come into contact with you!
To help prevent any dental trauma your best first line of defence is to wear a PROPERLY MADE AND WELL FITTING MOUTHGAURD! Please do not be tempted by cheap “warm up and stick in your mouth to mould to your teeth” imitations that are commonly sold in sports shops and over the internet. They may give you a false sense of security which could then increase the risk of injury.
If a tooth is knocked out, by replanting it back into the socket, it will give the tooth the best chance of becoming re-attached to the socket and therefore save the tooth.
The first important point is that BABY TEETH DO NOT need to be replanted.
On tooth roots there are millions of tiny cells (cementocytes), which act as “go-betweens” between the root and the bone of the socket. If these cells are damaged, the chance of the tooth “taking” in the socket are greatly diminished. To help avoid this, ONLY TOUCH/HOLD THE TOOTH BY THE CROWN, DO NOT TOUCH THE ROOT.
If the tooth is dirty, rinse it under running water for 10 seconds, then try to reposition the tooth in the socket. If this is not possible, the tooth can be stored in the fold between the teeth and the cheek.
If you feel that there is ANY RISK of swallowing or inhalation (for example if the person is very young), then store the tooth in whole milk, NOT WATER.
Seek dental care as soon as possible as the tooth will need to be splinted then at a later date root canal treated. If it is a front tooth, there is a possibility of discoloration becoming an aesthetic issue, again there are methods to help you, from bleaching the tooth from the inside to a crown.
For more information go to www.dentaltraumaguide.com.
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