Know What To Do When Your Tooth Gets Knocked Out

Having a tooth knocked out is not exactly something that you have time to prepare for since it happens quickly and unexpectedly due to trauma to your face. That's why it's very important to understand what to do if you find yourself or someone around you suddenly missing a tooth.

Find The Tooth

Your primary goal when dealing with a knocked-out tooth is to get it back into its position in the mouth as soon as possible because this helps the tooth integrate back with the body. However, the first step is to find the tooth. If you are involved in some sort of contact sport, it's important to let others know so that they can stop and help you look around where the incident happened. 

Handle The Tooth Properly

The one thing to know about finding a knocked-out tooth is how to handle the tooth once you locate it. Many people make the mistake of grabbing the tooth by the root, which can cause the tooth to potentially be damaged. You may not realize it, but there are still live cells on the tooth soon after it is knocked off, and you want to preserve the tooth as well as you can. Therefore, you want to grab the tooth by its crown, which is the part of the tooth that you would normally see above the gums. 

Gently Clean Off The Tooth

Any visible dirt or debris that is found on the tooth should be lightly brushed off the surface. You don't want to clean the tooth because those live cells are still on the surface. Water can actually harm the tooth and cause it to dry out. 

Reinsert The Tooth If Possible

It is preferred that you insert the knocked-out tooth back into the socket as soon as possible. However, that may not be possible based on the status of the person involved in the incident, or just not feeling comfortable doing so because of the pain you are experiencing. You can always keep the tooth in a container of milk to keep it in good condition, or a small container with the person's saliva. This will not damage the tooth-like water will, and give you some time to undergo emergency dental care.

Now you can head to a dentist and actually start the process of having the tooth properly reset into your gums so that it can begin to heal.