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Yes, you CAN save that knocked-out tooth!

Sep
6

Knocked-out-tooth_10317541

If a tooth is knocked out (avulsed) and you have the tooth, you should visit your dentist immediately so the tooth can be replaced as soon as possible. You have a 30-minute ‘window’ within which the tooth can be reinstated, so you will need to act quickly. This is the same for teeth that have been partially knocked out (subluxated) or dislodged in any way.

Here are a few tips to help you:

‘Baby’ teeth

  • There is no need to place a deciduous or ‘baby’ tooth back in to the socket as the emerging permanent teeth may become damaged.

Permanent or ‘Adult’ teeth

  • Make sure you handle the tooth by the crown and not the root, as the root is easily damaged.
  • If the tooth is clean and the root is intact place it straight back into the socket, making sure to place it the right way around of course!
  • If the tooth is dirty – gently wash the tooth in milk or water, or have the patient gently suck it clean before placing it back into the socket.
  • If you can’t replace it – wrap the tooth in cling film or store it in milk. Storing the tooth in water may damage the root surface of the tooth!

It’s best to phone ahead to let the practice know that you need an immediate emergency appointment to save a dislodged tooth, so they can be prepared to treat the patient as soon as possible.

And just so you know, any tooth that has been knocked out and successfully replaced will require Root Canal Treatment because the nerve has been severed.

At DBay Dental we have successfully saved teeth that have been knocked out. Below is a photo of a young patient who had two front teeth knocked out completely and two teeth dislodged in a playground accident. The quick-thinking school principal (who had a similar experience when he was young, so he knew what to do) got the student to us within 30 minutes of the event and Dr Andrew Scott replaced and repositioned the teeth in their rightful places and splinted them before immediately referring the patient on to a specialist for further treatment (Root Canal Treatment). This photo shows the teeth after splinting, but before the specialist treatment. Naturally there are no ‘before’ photos as time was of the essence and Dr Scott had to work quickly to save the teeth!  A great result, as these important front teeth were saved and they now look and function as they should.

splinted_teeth

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