If so, it is important to remain calm and take action quickly as there is a good chance of reattaching the tooth if done correctly. Here are some steps to follow:
Find the tooth – Make sure to carefully pick up the crown (top part) of the tooth while avoiding touching its roots as they need to stay intact for successful reimplantation. Gently rinse off the dirt or debris in a bowl of tap water without scrubbing or using any chemicals.
Reinsert into socket – Try gently biting down on gauze or moistened paper towels with your jaw shut until you can reach your dentist’s office.
Store outside mouth – If unable to insert back into socket, place tooth in cheek pocket, cold milk, or container with saliva and get professional help immediately – within one hour for optimal results.
For baby teeth – A space maintainer may be necessary due to premature loss and potential overcrowding when other teeth move around too much which could block proper eruption of permanent teeth beneath them. The metal appliance keeps this area open so adult teeth have enough room to emerge correctly.
And breathe deeply – You got this! With these steps taken swiftly after an accident happens, you will more likely save the precious lost tooth and give yourself peace-of-mind during this trying time!
Tips for broken tooth or chipped
Have you ever experienced the dreaded moment when your tooth has broken or chipped? Breaking a tooth can be caused by impact from accidents, sports, grinding teeth or dental issues such as caries and damaged fillings. A broken tooth can range from a chip in the enamel to exposing the dentin and pulp.
If this happens to you, here are some steps that should be taken: first, rinse your mouth with water and avoid hard foods due to the sharp edges it may cause. Secondly, if possible try finding any piece of the tooth that has come off and also rinse it with water – bring this along with you to your dentist appointment. Thirdly contact your dentist at once; they will explain what sort of treatment is needed depending on how severe the fracture is and where it is located – potential treatments could include polishing only, bonding back together any pieces of the broken part, composite filling, crowns or even root canal/tooth extraction!
Failure to treat a broken tooth may lead to sensitivity in cold temperatures (hot too!), caries, infections, pain in addition potential risk of losing a tooth altogether. As prevention is always better than cure there are several precautions one can take prior breakage occurring- these include abstaining from eating hard food items; wearing night guards for people who grind their teeth during sleep; using mouthguards for those engaging in sports activities etcetera.
Have you got yourself into this situation? If so don’t hesitate – Contact us now so we can help restore your smile!