A blow to the mouth can happen with enough force to cause a tooth to be knocked out of its socket. If a tooth gets knocked out by accident, it’s important to remain calm and follow a few simple steps to give yourself the best chance to permanently save the knocked out tooth. The first few minutes after a tooth becomes dislodged is the most critical period for saving it.
As soon as you discover that a tooth has been knocked out, take a deep breath and evaluate the amount of damage. Sometimes the tooth has merely been loosened but still remains partially attached to the socket. If that is the case, wash your hands and gently take hold of the tooth’s crown between two fingers in order to guide it back squarely into its socket. Apply a cold compress against your cheek or jaw to eliminate any swelling, then contact our office to request an emergency appointment so that we can do a thorough examination so see that no permanent damage has occurred.
If only part of the tooth has been knocked out, locate that piece, rinse it with clean tap water and put it into a container with clean water, milk or saline solution prior to contacting our office for an emergency visit. In many cases, we can repair the fracture by bonding the broken piece back onto the main tooth.
The worst case scenario is if the tooth has been knocked completely out of the mouth. But even though you may feel scared, take a deep breath, locate the tooth, rinse it under clean water and try to put it back into the socket to prevent additional damage to the nerve before calling our office for emergency assistance. If you can’t place it back in the socket, store it in a small container covered with a bit of milk or saline solution to help protect the delicate cells surrounding the root. Then call our office for an emergency appointment. Avoid the urge to wash or scrub the tooth because you risk damaging the nerve. Just keep it moist in a plastic baggie or other container and remember to bring it with you to the dentist’s office.
If a tooth has been knocked out of the mouth of a baby or small child, it’s likely not a permanent tooth. Gently rinse out the mouth with warm water and contact our office for an appointment so we can determine is there is any resulting injury that needs to be addressed.
Having a tooth knocked out in an accident may feel very upsetting, but by keeping your head and remaining calm enough to follow some simple steps, you can make it to our office in time for emergency assistance that puts a smile back on your face!