Dental Care: What To Do When You Lose A Tooth

The loss of a tooth can be quite alarming, not only for the pain that it can cause, but also for the difficulty that will come as a result. Permanent teeth are just that–permanent–and losing one of them will mean that there won’t be another tooth that will grow in its place.          

The good news is that even if you lose a permanent tooth from injury or an accident, there is a good chance that it might be returned successfully if you act fast. When a tooth falls out or is knocked out of its socket, time is of the essence and you really have to act fast if you want to have a chance of being able to place the tooth back successfully. The longer you wait to get dental care, the less your chances are of being able to get your tooth back.

Below are some tips on what to do when you lose a tooth.

If a permanent tooth is knocked out of its socket, you should pick it up carefully by the crown and not the root.

You should rinse the tooth gently in either milk or a saline solution if it picked up any dirt or debris. Make sure that you don’t rinse it for too long.

If the person who has lost the tooth is conscious, gently replace the tooth in its socket, making sure that it is facing the right way.

You could either hold the tooth in place with a bit of aluminum foil or by biting down in the tooth gently with a clean handkerchief.

Make sure you contact your dentist immediately for proper dental care.

If you can’t put the tooth back in the socket for any reason, you should wrap it in clean cloth or kitchen wrap. Alternately, you could also soak it in milk or a saline solution. You will also have to see a dentist immediately for proper dental care.

Whatever you do, do not clean the tooth or scrub it too vigorously no matter how much debris there is on it. Milk teeth also shouldn’t be placed back in the socket since it may fuse to the socket causing a number of problems when it is time for the tooth to be shed normally. In addition, replacing milk tooth can cause damage to the permanent tooth underneath.

Losing a tooth can be quite traumatic indeed, and you may feel that there is nothing you can do about it. As we have explained however, you do have a good chance of keeping your teeth if you act fast and follow these simple tips.