When you have damaged or knocked out a tooth, you do not have much time to save it. You will need to get yourself to the dentist as quickly as you can. If you move fast enough, you may be able to save the tooth, even when it has been knocked out entirely. The clock is ticking once the tooth has been knocked out, so you will want to do everything you can to help save the tooth and avoid having a dental implant. Below are some tips and advice to help you keep your tooth and hopefully preserve that winning smile.
What To Do When A Tooth Is Knocked Out
If the tooth knocked out is a baby tooth, you do not need to worry about saving it, but you will still want to visit the dentist. If it is an adult tooth, you will want to do everything to save it, but you do not have much time to do this. If you act quickly enough, you may keep the tooth and avoid having an expensive dental implant to replace the missing tooth. You will want to visit a Sydney emergency dental clinic or a dentist near you within an hour of the tooth being knocked out, quicker hopefully. This will give you the best chance of saving the tooth. However, you will need to follow the advice below.
Preserving A Knocked-Out Tooth
When you have had a tooth knocked out, you will want to remain calm and act fast as it does not take long for the tooth’s cells to die. You will need to collect the tooth and be careful how you pick it up, avoid touching the root of the tooth. Pick it up by the crown, the part which shows above the gums. You will want to clean the tooth with cold running water or lick it if nothing else is available. Try and put the tooth back in the hole, which is the best way to preserve it, and if it goes in, keep it help in place by biting down gently. However, if this is not possible, there are other things you can do.
You will want to find a small clean container for the tooth if you cannot put it back in and fill it up with your saliva to help preserve the tooth. If your mouth is dry or it is someone else’s tooth, you can also put it into milk which can help keep it. If you do not have a container handy and need to act quickly, you can clean the tooth and put it in your mouth, holding it in your cheek until you get to the dentist.
Getting To An Emergency Dentist
Once the tooth is secure, it is vital that you get to an emergency dentist as quickly as possible. The faster you get there and get seen, the better chance you have of saving the tooth. It does not matter whether you see your regular dentist or not, visit the one that is closest to you, and you have more chance of saving it.
