Losing a tooth can shake your confidence and disrupt daily life, but there’s hope!
In this post, we’ll dive into the best ways to tackle tooth loss, ensuring you can eat, talk, and smile with ease again.
What should I do if I lose a permanent tooth?
A knocked-out tooth, also known as an avulsed tooth, is a dental emergency. If you don’t get help soon, it will be impossible to salvage the tooth, and the socket can become badly infected.
By taking quick action, you can save both the tooth and the socket.
Take the following steps:
- Call Austin Avenue Dental and let us know that you have knocked out your tooth. We reserve time in our daily schedules for emergency patients.
- Pick it up by the crown, not the fleshy root. If the root looks dirty, give it a quick rinse under a saline solution but DO NOT scrub or touch the root to avoid losing vital tissue.
- As unappealing as it sounds, try to put the tooth back in its socket. Then hold it in place with gauze or a clean washcloth until you get to a dentist.
- If the tooth can’t be reinserted, place it in milk or saline—not water. Alternatively, hold it inside your mouth by your gum and cheek to the dentist.
- Get to a dentist immediately.
What if my child knocks out a baby tooth?
If your child knocks out a baby tooth prematurely, follow these steps to ensure their comfort and dental health:
- Comfort your child and help them rinse their mouth out with cold water.
- Call a pediatric dentist immediately.
- The dentist won’t be able to save the tooth, but they can provide pain relievers for your child’s comfort.
- The dentist may also prescribe antibiotics to prevent any potential infections.
- Your child may need a spacer, a device that keeps the other teeth from crowding into the gap left by the lost tooth. The spacer allows future permanent teeth to grow properly by providing enough space.
If my tooth isn’t knocked out but just loosened, should I still see a dentist?
If your tooth isn’t knocked out but just loosened, it is still recommended to see a dentist.
A dentist can diagnose if further treatment is necessary and help reduce the risk that the tooth will die or fall out later.
How can I keep my teeth where they belong?
Sports injuries are a leading cause of knocked-out teeth. If you or your child play any sport with a risk of falls or blows to the face, helmets, face masks, and mouth guards should be standard equipment.
According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, that list includes football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, skateboarding, gymnastics, and martial arts.
If store-bought mouthguards aren’t comfortable, you can get a customized one from your dentist.
Don’t Hesitate to See the Dentist
If you have any more questions or concerns regarding which dental treatment is best for your situation, there are multiple ways to reach us:
- Simply give us a call at (604) 931-9022;
- Fill out our appointment form; or
- Drop by our dental office as we are always happy to accept new patients.
