Knocked out teeth? Here's what to do in this emergency

What can you do if you have lost teeth from physical trauma? This would be considered a dental emergency. If your get to your Clarenville dentist's office soon enough, they may even be able to save your lost tooth!

What causes knocked out teeth?

Knocked-out teeth are commonly the result of an impact to the jaw or face.

If you are dealing with a tooth or teeth that have been knocked out, take the following steps:

1. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (don’t touch the root).

Attempt to retrieve your lost tooth as soon as possible after it has been knocked out of your mouth. Pick up your teeth as carefully as possible by its crown the part that is exposed above your gum line normally.

2. Gently rinse the tooth with water if it’s dirty.

Using only water, rinse any debris and dirt from the tooth. Avoid using any soap or chemicals, as these could damage the tooth root. Don't dry or scrub the tooth, instead wrap it in cloth or tissue. Abrasions on the tooth root could seriously damage it.

3. If possible, place the tooth back in the socket.

Try putting the tooth back in its socket right away. You can try to 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 in order to push the tooth back into the socket. Using a finger, hold the tooth in place. You can also bite down on it to keep it in its socket.

4. Keep the tooth moist.

If you can't place the tooth back in the socket, it will need to be kept moist until you go to the dentist. Place your tooth either in a cup of milk or in your mouth next to your cheek. Avoid storing it in tap water since the cell son the root's surface won't tolerate the water for very long before starting to die.

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.

Ideally, you should go to your dentist’s office within 30 minutes of losing any teeth. However, it may still be possible for your dentist to save a tooth if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.

How can I prepare for a dental emergency at home?

Dental emergencies may happen at any time, day or night. There are a few things that you can do while 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:

Gauze
Ice pack
Small container with lid to preserve a knocked-out tooth
Over-the-counter painkiller (such as ibuprofen)
The phone number of our Clarenville 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.