Have you ever wondered what to do when your child’s tooth gets knocked out in an accident or while playing ?
More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year in children and adults. With proper emergency action, a tooth that has been knocked out of its socket can be successfully replanted and last for years. It is important to see a dentist as soon as possible after the tooth is knocked out, whether it is a baby tooth or permanent tooth.
If the baby tooth has fallen out, you might want to put it under the pillow for the Tooth Fairy to retrieve. In most cases, it might not make sense to re-implant a baby tooth. It is still important to visit a dentist right away, to determine if there is any impact or trauma caused to the permanent tooth, which might be erupting under the baby tooth. Or if there is any damage caused to a nerve. Losing one or more front baby teeth may give the child a temporary lisp, but no permanent effect on speech development – or on eating – is known.
If your child is older and a permanent tooth is knocked completely out, call your dentist immediately for an emergency appointment. It is critical to get the child and the tooth to the dentist within 30 minutes of the accident, as it may be possible to successfully re-implant the tooth.
Locate the tooth immediately. Pick up the tooth from the crown. Do not hold from the root, to minimize injury to the root. If dirty, gently rinse tooth with water.
Do not use soap or chemicals.
Do not scrub the tooth.
Do not dry the tooth.
Do not wrap it in a tissue or cloth.
If possible, gently place the tooth back in its socket as a means of transport. The tooth must not be left outside the mouth to dry. If the tooth is outside the mount, then put it in one of the following:
Emergency tooth preservation kit like “save a tooth”
Milk
Mouth (between the cheek and gum, unless the patient is a young child who may swallow it)
Regular tap water is not recommended for long-term storage because the root surface cells do not tolerate water for long periods of time.
See the nearest available dentist within 30 minutes. However, it is possible to save the tooth even if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.
At Bay Smile Dental, we try to make your visit a very pleasant one. Dr. Jaspreet Harika is an experienced Fremont Dentist serving Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Milpitas and surrounding areas. She uses gentle techniques to perform dental procedures, to make it a painless dental experience for her patients. Dr. Harika has gone through specialized training in dental implants.
Please contact us at 510-284.2511 to setup your appointment. For non-emergency appointments, you can also Click here to request an appointment online. We will call or e-mail you to setup your appointment as per your convenience.
