A dental trauma can be painful and difficult to handle. If a tooth breaks or is knocked out, you should seek professional dental help immediately. Don’t Panic! Until you arrive at the dental office, you should follow the instructions below to protect the tooth and ensure it stays healthy so your dentist can save the tooth and fix the problem.
Keep It Clean
The key to saving the tooth is to find it and preserve it. If your tooth has been knocked out, pick it up by the crown, which is the chewing edge of the tooth. If you pick it up by the root, then the root will become compromised with bacteria and putting it back in will be difficult.
Preserve It
Most dentists recommend trying to place the tooth back into the mouth where it fell out so that it is level with other teeth. Bite down on a piece of gauze or a wet tea bag to keep it in place. If you cannot reinsert the tooth, then put it in a small container with enough whole milk to cover the tooth.
Next Steps
Apply a cold compress to the mouth and gums to ease the pain and apply direct pressure with a gauze pad to control bleeding. Once you arrive at your dental office, they can take it from there. It’s what we’re here for!