What can you do if you’ve lost teeth due to trauma? This is considered a dental emergency. If you get to your Calgary dentist’s office soon enough, they may be able to save the tooth.
What causes knocked-out teeth?
Knocked-out teeth are commonly the result of an impact on the jaw or face.
If you are dealing with knocked-out teeth, take the following steps:
1. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (don’t touch the root).
Immediately after you lose your tooth, attempt to retrieve it, and carefully pick the tooth up by the crown (the part exposed above the gum line when it is in your mouth).
2. Gently rinse the tooth with water if it’s dirty.
To remove any dirt or debris from the tooth, only use water. Avoid using soap or chemicals. Avoid scrubbing, drying, or wrapping the tooth in cloth or tissue because doing so could cause damage.
3. If possible, place the tooth back in the socket.
Try putting the tooth back in its socket right away. You can try and gently push it in (continuing to touch the crown only, not the root). Another option is to try positioning it above the socket.
Close your mouth slowly to push it in. Using a finger, hold the tooth in place. You might also bite down on it.
4. Keep the tooth moist.
The tooth needs to be kept moist until you can get to the dentist if you can't put it back in its socket. Keep it in your mouth next to your cheek or put it in a cup of milk. Keep it out of regular tap water when storing it because the root surface cells won't be able to stand water for very long.
Using this method of preserving a tooth may increase the likelihood of your dentist being able to replace it.
5. Within 30 minutes of the injury, get to your dentist’s office.
The ideal time to visit your dentist is 30 minutes after losing any teeth. However, if a tooth has been out of the mouth for an hour or longer, your dentist may still be able to save it.
How can I prepare for a dental emergency at home?
Dental emergencies can happen any time of the day or night. There are some things you can do at home to prepare in case you experience one.
Keep these things around the house at all times, as they are handy to have in a dental emergency:
- Over-the-counter painkillers (such as ibuprofen)
- Ice pack
- Small container with a lid to preserve a knocked-out tooth
- Gauze
- The phone number of our Calgary dentist’s office
Type "dentist near me" into your favourite search engine, and our information will likely come up. As soon as you feel safe and are able to call our office, do so. We will make room in our schedule to see you as soon as possible.