Dental urgencies are one of the most common emergencies in every dental practice, from simple chipping to a knocked-out tooth.
Although it can seem like irreversible damage, you can still save your tooth if you respond quickly and with the appropriate measures.
This article details these measures to provide you with a guide on what to do when your teeth are knocked out.
Steps to Take When a Tooth Gets Knocked Out
The most common treatment for an avulsion is reimplantation.
It means your dentist will try to reinsert the tooth and fix it in position for a while. Therefore, your first reaction should be quick and precise.
What should I do first?
The first step you need to make is to pick the tooth up from the crown without touching its roots to avoid contamination. Then, put the tooth in milk, saline solution, or your saliva. These measures reduce cell death and increase reimplantation success.
Do not try to scrub or clean the tooth with soap or any other detergent. If the tooth has dirt or something else, rinse it gently with saline solution or water. However, if you do not have the proper solution, store it and get straight to your dentist’s office.
What is the procedure?
The success of the treatment is guaranteed only within the first 30 minutes after the accident. So, time is your ally.
Once you get to the dental office, your dentist will clean the dislodged tooth, prepare the area for reimplantation, and then reinsert and stabilize the tooth, fixing it to the neighboring teeth.
This procedure is done entirely under local anesthesia and will require multiple follow-up appointments to ensure its success.
During your healing process, you may have to follow a soft diet, avoid eating with the affected tooth, and follow a strict hygiene protocol to increase your treatment success chances.
Understanding the Impact of Knocked-Out Teeth
What can cause a knocked-out tooth? The most frequent causes of avulsion are injuries caused by sports or accidents.
Contact sports and falls are highly frequent among children and adults and are considered the primary reasons.
Car and other transportation accidents are other less frequent causes.
What are the effects of a knocked-out tooth on oral health? Incorrectly handling your knocked-out tooth can cause more harm than good. Waiting too long, scrubbing the roots, or cleaning the tooth with soap are frequent common mistakes that eventually lead to failure and tooth loss.
Losing a tooth induces bone loss in your jaw and tooth misalignment. The remaining teeth will try to close the gap and move around consequently.
Moreover, dental avulsion usually occurs in front teeth, and having a missing tooth in an esthetic area can cause multiple psychological and self-esteem issues.
When dealing with a knocked-out tooth, time is critical.
The faster you respond, the more chances you’ll have to save your tooth and avoid more expensive and complex procedures in the future. Although success is not always guaranteed, you can increase your chances by responding promptly.
Preventing Knocked-Out Teeth
Accidents are unpredictable. Yet, you can decrease their damage by wearing the appropriate safety gadgets. Mouthguards are the most effective way to protect your or your kid’s teeth during physical activities.
Mouthguard use is particularly effective in contact sports and risk activities in patients with open bite and malocclusion problems, which are the most frequent to have these accidents.
Also, having a great dental hygiene routine and regular dental appointments can decrease the chances of worse consequences if a tooth is knocked out.
Long-Term Care for Knocked-Out Teeth
If everything goes well with the reimplantation, your knocked-out tooth should have many more years without issues. However, the procedure can be unsuccessful, leading to other treatment solutions such as dental implants or crowns.
As a result, the following appointments after an accident are crucial to reduce possible complications and avoid infections. Also, your dentist will take multiple X-rays during the process to track your tooth healing.
In the long term, some teeth may require root canal treatment or may not be eligible for reimplantation and need an extraction.
Conclusion
Although a dental accident can happen to anyone, your treatment success will most likely depend on your quality of response and the time you take.
A professional and quick response to the trauma is crucial to save your tooth and avoid future problems. Therefore, following these pieces of advice can save a lot of issues and money.
Finally, remember to maintain a solid oral health routine by brushing your teeth at least twice daily and using dental floss.
FAQs
Can I use soap to clean my knocked-out tooth?
No, using soap or other detergents can damage your tooth cells and cause necrosis. Rinse it with saline solution or water.
Can I wait until the next day to fix the accident?
No, you should not. Time is essential when teeth are knocked out. Go as soon as you can to receive dental attention, preferably within the first 30 minutes.
