Your Mount Pearl Invisalign® Provider
What causes knocked-out teeth?
Teeth will commonly be knocked out as a result of an impact to the jaw or face.
If you are dealing with one or more knocked out teeth, take the following steps:
1. Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown (don’t touch the root).
Immediately after losing your tooth, try and retrieve it if possible. Pick the lost tooth up carefully by its crown (the part that is normally visible above the gum line.
2. Gently rinse the tooth with water if it’s dirty.
Only use water to rinse debris or dirt from the tooth. Avoid using any chemicals or soap, they could damage the root of your tooth. Whatever you do, do not dry or scrub the tooth, these may result in damage as well.
3. If possible, place the tooth back in the socket.
Try placing your tooth back into its socket as soon as possible. You can try gently pushing it in (only touching the crown). You can also try positioning the tooth above the socket and closing your mouth slowly while holding the tooth steady with your finger to slide it back into place.
4. Keep the tooth moist.
If your can't place your tooth back in its socket, it will have to be kept moist until you get to the dentist. Place your tooth in a cup of milk or keep it in your mouth, next to your cheek. Don't store it in tap water. The root won't be able to tolerate water for a long period of time without dying.
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.
In an ideal world, you should visit your dentist's office within half an hour of losing any tooth. It may be possible for a dentist to save your tooth if it's been outside of your mouth for an hour or so though.
How can I prepare for a dental emergency at home?
Dental emergencies can happen any time, night or day. There are a few things you can do at home to prepare in case you experience a dental emergency.
Keep these things around the house at all times, as they are handy to have in a dental emergency:
- Gauze
- Ice pack
- Over-the-counter painkillers (such as ibuprofen)
- Small container with a lid to preserve a knocked-out tooth
- The phone number of our Mount Pearl dentist’s office
You can always type "dentist near me" into your favourite search engine to find our information. As soon as you feel safe and able to contact our dental office, do so. We will make room in our schedule as soon as possible to see you.