Once your permanent teeth come in, they’re designed to last a lifetime, but as life often shows us, accidents can happen. If you or your child has a permanent tooth knocked out, what you do immediately afterward can possibly save the tooth, sparing you from finding a replacement option. Here’s what you need to know about displaced teeth and how to handle these situations by promptly visiting your emergency dentist in Campbell. emergency dentist.
Your First Steps
The first thing to do when you or your child loses a tooth is to locate that tooth as quickly as possible. Be sure to treat the tooth gently and avoid touching the root area — handling it by the crown instead. If you can, rinse the tooth and your mouth with lukewarm water only and don’t use any cleansers.
Once the tooth and your mouth are relatively free of any blood and/or debris, try to gently push the tooth back into the socket. You can hold the tooth in place by lightly clenching a piece of gauze or a wet tea bag between your jaws. If you’re dealing with a small child, it’s important that they keep their jaws still so that the tooth doesn’t move around or come free, which can pose a swallowing and choking risk.
When Reinserting the Tooth Isn’t Possible
If you try to put the tooth into the socket, but it doesn’t readily slide into place or the area is too tender, it’s best to preserve the tooth elsewhere. If possible, keep it tucked between your cheek and jaw so that it can benefit from an environment that has ample saliva.
This “storage” technique may not be suitable for small children, so in these cases, you can try to collect some saliva in a glass and place the tooth in the liquid, or you can use milk if saliva isn’t available. Please don’t place the tooth in a glass of water, as the surface of the tooth root doesn’t tolerate tap water all that well.
Seek Your Emergency Dentist for Assistance
As we mentioned earlier, in between locating, rinsing, and replacing your knocked-out tooth, you or someone around you, should contact your emergency dentist right away. If you’ve done your part to preserve the tooth, they can do theirs to ensure that it has the best possible chance of survival. Rest assured, if we can’t save your tooth, there are options — including dental implants, which mimic your lost tooth right down to the roots.
About Our Practice
Our team here at Mockler Dental has served the dental needs of Campbell and the surrounding area for several years, offering a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatment solutions, as well as emergency dentistry for patients with urgent needs. If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to set up an appointment, reach out online or call today for more information. Telephone: (408) 871-0877.