You Knocked Your Tooth Out, Now What?
If you have knocked out one of your teeth, then timing is of the essence. You must act fast if it is to be saved. There is still the chance that the dentist won't be able to, so you will need to have it replaced with an implant, a bridge, or even a partial denture. If you knock your tooth out, take the following steps in this order to increase your chances of being able to have it saved:
Immediately find the tooth
Find the tooth as fast as you can. The longer it is allowed to dry out and be exposed to dirt, the less the chance will be of it being successfully implanted back in your mouth. Walk very carefully, you don't want to step on it. If others are helping you, make sure they know not to just pick it up if they find it, there is a specific way things must be handled.
Pick the tooth up and clean it off
The moment you find the tooth, you need to carefully pick it up by the crown only. You'll want to get all the dirt you can off of it. Unfortunately, the best way for you to clean it off is using your own saliva, so start spitting on it, or spit in a container and rinse it off. This won't be pleasant, but it's going to help increase the chances of the tooth being successfully put back in.
Get in to see a dentist right away
If you are able to get an immediate appointment with your dentist, then do it. However, if they can't get you in right away, then you want to call the nearest emergency dentist and get in to be seen by them. The most important thing is that the tooth gets put back in place as soon as possible. If you feel you can do it on your own, then you can clean your mouth out and try pushing the tooth down into the socket while making sure you are putting it in correctly. If you accomplish this, bite down on something to hold it in place and avoid opening your mouth to talk, eat, or drink until you see a dentist.
Hopefully, your tooth can be saved. If it can't, then you don't want to wait too long to have it replaced. Putting off tooth replacement can eventually lead to bone damage and can even lead to visible facial distortion.
For more information, contact local professionals like those found at J Bryson McBratney.
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