Tooth Knocked Out Dentist - Emergency Dental Tips

Tooth Knocked Out?
Here's what you should do right away until you reach our dental office.

It's essential to get to a dentist right away. In the meantime, do the following things:

1. If you have completely knocked out a tooth the first thing you should do is remain as calm as possible.

2. Locate the tooth and pick it up by its crown. If the tooth broke into many pieces make every effort to find all parts of the tooth. Do Not touch the tooth's roots with your hands or you may severely damage them.

3. Quickly pour a glass of milk and put all of the tooth's fragments into the milk. If you do not have milk at the time of the injury, you can also submerge the tooth in contact lens solution. What ever you do, don't put the tooth in water or attempt to scrub and clean the tooth because you will damage it even further.

4. Additionally if neither the milk nor the contact solution is available, you must put the tooth back into your mouth until you reach our dental office or until you're able to submerge the tooth in the previous solutions mentioned. You do not have to try to re-implant the tooth but you do have to at least keep the tooth tucked in your cheek within your mouth.

5. Placing the tooth back into your mouth until you reach our office is the very best solution. Your mouth will keep the tooth moist and prevent it from being infected by dirty hands and airborne bacteria.

6. Do not attempt by any mean to transport the tooth unprotected. Your tooth will be damaged within minutes and re-implanting it may fail as a result. Never store the tooth in water. If you don’t have access to milk or contact solution, you must transport the tooth in your mouth even if you find the idea repulsive. If you want to save the tooth this must be done without hesitance.

7. If your child has knocked out one of their teeth, it is advised that you or a responsible adult transport the tooth by any of the 3 solutions mentioned. This is because your child may accidentally inhale or swallow the tooth. Generally children 10 years and older can responsibly transport the tooth in their mouth safely. However, children under this age specification will require your assistance if milk or contact solution is not currently available.

8. If the socket from which the tooth was knocked-out is bleeding you can place a wad of tissue or sterile gauze on the socket and bite down to hold it in place. This should slow/stop the bleeding enough until you get to our dental office.

9. For loosened, pushed in and broken teeth, always avoid eating or drinking anything until we are able to assess the damage. Minor chips or more significant tooth fractures require certain steps in order to reduce infection, control pain, and reduce the chance of permanent damage to the pulp. All of these types of injuries require immediate cosmetic repair and you should contact us immediately.

We see emergency cases immediately! Contact us right away, your tooth's best chance for survival occurs within the first 30 minutes after it has been displaced or knocked out.