The second your tooth gets knocked out, the clock starts ticking for how long you have to save it. While we hope no one ever needs to deal with a knocked-out tooth, it’s important to know what to do if the situation arises. Remember, time is of the essence!
Act Fast
The sooner you get professional dental help after one of your teeth is knocked from its socket, the higher the chance that the tooth can survive. As a general rule, if you store the knocked-out tooth properly and see a dentist within an hour of the accident happening, there’s a good likelihood that the tooth will make it. After that, there’s a significant decrease in the tooth survival rate.
Storing a Knocked-Out Tooth
So what does it mean to store a knocked-out tooth properly? The most important thing is that the tooth root stays moist. First, you should try to put the tooth back in the socket it was knocked-out from. Don’t try to force it if it’s not slipping in easily though! If you can’t return the tooth to the socket, put the tooth in a cup of milk. Milk’s fluid pressure actually causes less damage to the tooth root cells than water or saliva. If you don’t have any milk handy, you can hold the tooth in your mouth, between your gum and your cheek.
Handle the Tooth with Care
Speaking of the tooth root, remember to avoid touching the root when handling the tooth so you don’t cause any further damage. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it off very gently.
Emergency Dentist is Leesburg, VA
We hope you never lose a tooth! But if you do, don’t wait to get help! Call Leesburg Family Dental ASAP so that we can help save your tooth and restore your smile. If you have any questions about emergency dental care, please contact or office. We are also happy to answer questions about oral health in general. We offer a wide variety of dental treatments for patients of all ages and our team is always here to be of assistance. Feel free to contact our Leesburg dental office by phone or email.
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