The American Association of Endodontists estimates that an average of five million teeth are knocked out every single year. The most common causes are often related to inadequate mouth protection during contact sports and household accidents that involve a significant fall.
Having a tooth knocked out, is always a serious cause for concern. The team of dentists at Dental Designs of Bountiful recommend these important factors to help minimize complications and improve your treatment options.
If you have blood or debris in your mouth you can rinse it away and sooth the injured tissues with lukewarm salt water. It’s best to avoid antiseptic mouthwash as the alcohol or astringents can irritate wounded gums.
It might be possible for a Dental Designs of Bountiful dentist to implant the tooth back into the socket. For this to even be possible the tooth needs to have been knocked out of the socket cleanly, and still be alive.
Water and milk are actually poor mediums for keeping the tooth alive. With no other recourse you can always keep the tooth alive by holding it between your cheek and gums.
There is also a tooth preservation product sold in stores. To use it, you simply place the knocked out tooth in the jar and seal it. The nourishing gel inside will keep it alive for a short time, until one of Dental Designs of Bountiful’s dentists can assess the situation.
If any part of the tooth or the root remains in the socket, the tooth itself will not be viable for implantation. In a situation like this, your dentist will usually have to extract the remnants of the tooth and suture the gums. Later we can help you decide if you’d like to restore the tooth with bridge or dental implant.
If one of your teeth has been knocked out, you need to call Dental Designs of Bountiful’s clinic in Bountiful, Utah at 801-295-7171 for immediate treatment