Many of us do not know what to do when we face a medical emergency, and other than call for an ambulance or go to the hospital, we do not know what is best. It is the same for dental emergencies, and you may find yourself having to deal with a missing tooth in your mouth or that of your child, so you must know what to do. If there is any chance of saving the tooth, you will need to act quickly, and it will also help if you have a dentist that you can call in emergency situations like this. Below you will read some advice on what can knock teeth out and what to do if it happens. This way, you can be prepared and know how to cope with the situation.
How Teeth Get Knocked Out
Our teeth are not as strong as you may think, and there are many ways to damage them and knock them out. One of the most common ways is when there is an accident in the face or from sports injuries when there is a collision. Some of the sports that it is common for people to suffer injuries like these include:
- Football
- Rugby
- Ice Hockey
- Martial Arts
- Boxing
If you or someone in your family suffers an injury that knocks a tooth out, you will need to act quickly. You may save it and help prevent costly dental bills.
What To Do When A Tooth Is Knocked Out
When you find yourself in the situation of dealing with a knocked-out tooth, the first thing you should do is collect the tooth before you seek assistance from an emergency dentist. You need to ensure that you do not pick the tooth up by the root and instead pick it up by the top, or the crown, of the tooth. If the tooth is dirty, then wash it using water, or you can also use milk. Once the tooth is clean, take it by the crown and push the tooth back in place and use a piece of cloth in your mouth so you can bite down and hold it firmly in place. The next thing you need to do is get to a dentist as quickly as possible, and if you can, within an hour of it from being knocked out.
Saving Your Tooth At The Dentist
Depending on how the accident happened and the state of your missing tooth, and the gums it came from, your dentist may be able to save your tooth. Ideally, if you see a dentist within 30 minutes, there may be a chance that they can preserve it, and there have been cases of it being saved up to an hour after it was knocked out. However, you may not be able to save the tooth at all, and your dentist may advise you to remove it and seek an alternative treatment for the missing tooth. Seeking the advice of an expert dentist and getting to see them as quickly as possible gives you the best chance of saving the tooth. If this happens to you or your child, get to the dentist as soon as you can.
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