Dealing With A Knocked-Out Tooth: The Do's And Don'ts
Posted on: 17 January 2019
Picture this: one minute you are having a great time enjoying a soccer game, and the next you are in excruciating pain as you look at your knocked-out tooth in disbelief. You don't need to panic, however. Try to keep calm and do the one thing that you should do: calling an emergency dentist.
You can push back your routine dental checkup, but in some cases, such as tooth loss caused by the trauma from accidents during contact sports, dental care cannot wait. An emergency dentist is your best chance at saving your tooth.
Here are some are a couple of dos and don'ts to keep in mind after making that call.
1. Handle With Care
Ensure that you do not touch the root every time you handle the dislodged tooth. The root is extremely sensitive, and you can easily damage it if you touch it carelessly.
2. Clean The Tooth
The field surface may be covered with dirt, and pieces of dried grass may also attach to your knocked-out tooth. To clean up the tooth, hold it by the crown and rinse it with milk. Your emergency dentist may also recommend using water instead if there is no milk.
It is crucial that you avoid scrubbing the tooth. If there is anything that doesn't come off with the rinse, then you had best leave it be. Any abrasive force can cause severe damage to the tooth.
3. Keep The Tooth Moist
After rinsing it off, you should keep the tooth moist by placing it in a glass of milk or water. You can use fresh water, or you can make a salt-and-water mixture. You may also want to think about placing the dislodged tooth between your gums and cheeks.
4. Try Putting It Back
Another option is to try putting the dislodged tooth back in its place. Be careful about it, and if you find it difficult to re-insert the tooth, don't try to force it. Instead, keep it between your gums and cheeks as you head to see the emergency dentist.
5. Take Something For The Pain
If you find it a little too much to bear, you can always take some painkillers to ease the pain. Over-the-counter painkillers will do just fine.
An emergency dentist is equipped with the skills to reattach your dislodged teeth. What you do between the time your tooth gets knocked out and when the emergency dentist sees you will be of significant impact. Contact a dentist who provides emergency dental services to learn more.
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