What To Do If Your Tooth Gets Knocked Out
No one thinks about a tooth getting knocked out until they experience it for themselves. If you find yourself in this situation, you might not know what to do or if it’s a real dental emergency or not. The steps you take can impact the ability to save the tooth and your overall dental health.
Here is what you need to know if your tooth gets knocked out.
How a Tooth Gets Knocked Out
A tooth can get knocked out in a number of ways. Sudden impacts, such as hitting your face during a car accident or a ball hitting your face while playing sports are the most common reasons. A tooth can also loosen and eventually fall out or get knocked out if the tooth is weakened due to tooth decay, gum recession caused by gingivitis. You may also lose a tooth if you bite down on a hard or chewy food or an object you shouldn’t be chewing on at all.
Sometimes having a tooth knocked out comes as a total surprise and sometimes it could have been prevented with better dental care. Seeing a dentist routinely can help to decrease the chances of a tooth falling out due to tooth decay or gum recession. Wearing items such as a mouth guard and face mask when participating in sports can reduce the odds of a tooth being knocked out while playing impact sports.
While you can reduce the chances of a tooth getting knocked out, you can not eliminate the possibility all together. This is why it’s important to know what to do if your tooth is knocked out. This information can make the difference between saving your tooth and losing it forever.
What to Do When a Tooth Gets Knocked Out
If your tooth gets knocked out, you will want to take immediate action to save your tooth. If it’s still in your mouth or is hanging by threads or tissues in your mouth, try to keep your tooth in your mouth. Gently place the tooth back in the pocket. Don’t use pressure or try to force the tooth back in. If it will not go completely in, hold it as close to the gum pocket as possible. Use gauze or cotton balls to help if necessary. This increases the chances of the tooth being saved once you get to an emergency dentist.
Don’t rinse your mouth or pull the tooth out. This can damage the tissues or threads that may still be holding your tooth in place.
If the tooth is completely out of your mouth, find it as soon as you can. Place it in a sealable plastic bag or small container filled with enough milk to cover the tooth entirely. If you don’t have any milk, place the tooth in warm salt water. Doing this right away helps to prevent your tooth from drying out and keeps it healthy. This is vital if you want to keep your tooth and repair the damage.
Don’t rinse your tooth under a faucet to clean it, as you run the risk of losing the tooth down the drain. A dentist will clean it before putting it back in your mouth.
Knocked Out Teeth are Dental Emergencies
If your tooth is knocked out, for any reason, from an accident or gum decay, it’s definitely a dental emergency. Seeing your dentist within 30 minutes of the tooth being knocked out increases the odds of the tooth being re-adhered into place. It also decreases the risk of infection, pain and swelling that you may experience with a knocked out tooth. This is not a time to delay getting help. The faster you get in to see your dentist, the better outcome you’ll have.
Conclusion
Are you experiencing a dental emergency in Phoenix? If you knocked a tooth out, you require immediate dental care. Dental Brothers can help! Call our offices immediately in Mesa or Phoenix and let our experienced and caring dentists help you.
