Think you’ve lost your adult tooth for good if it has been knocked out? Think again!
A tooth knocked out due to injury can still be saved. In this situation, time really is of the essence. If you find yourself a tooth short after a collision or sporting crash, stay calm and find the tooth!
MYTH: “If your adult tooth is knocked out by trauma it cannot be saved”
It has been a myth that has been around for generations, and at NQ Surgical Dentistry in Townsville, we thought it was about time we shed some light onto this falsehood.
Caring for a lost tooth…
After the tooth is found, be sure to handle it on the crown only – touching the root of the tooth can damage it and cause issues for reinsertion. The next step is to rinse it gently either with saline or milk, to ensure the tooth is clean.
The best thing to do once the tooth is clean is to put it back in the person’s mouth in their saliva (for an adult) otherwise in a container with milk. The milk helps keep the root moist and contains proteins and sugars which will keep the cells alive.
Reinsertion…
Rush to your nearest dentist to have them reinsert the tooth by placing it in the tooth socket and then the tooth should be splinted for a period of 10 days. A longer period of splinting is not helpful as it often results in root resorption/root damage later and hence loss of the tooth. The short period of splinting allows the fibres in the socket to reattach to the root surface and after the splint is removed the tooth should gradually firm up.
At NQ Surgical Dentistry we do whatever we can to save your natural teeth and we can help to replace missing teeth or a tooth knocked out because we understand just how important a good smile is to you.
For more information on our treatments or to book an appointment, please contact the friendly team at NQ Surgical Dentistry today on (07) 4725 1656 or call in to see us at 183 Kings Rd, Pimlico QLD 4812
