We were on a play date at a friend’s house the other day and our boys were riding their bikes when all the sudden one of them came in bleeding from his mouth! Thankfully it wasn’t my son, but his friend’s tooth was completely knocked after toppling over the front of his bike. His mom wasted no time finding the tooth, loaded him in the car and headed to the dentist. I was in shock. It all happened so fast! If that had been my son, I’m not sure I would have known what to do! — Sierra
Sierra,
Emergency dentists see patients for knocked-out teeth all the time. Protocol depends on the type of tooth. For instance, if a child knocks out a baby tooth, their best bet is to stick it under their pillow so the tooth fairy can find it.
In the case where this boy knocked out a permanent tooth, the chances of the tooth surviving are dependent on some very important steps. First and foremost, don’t panic! It’s imperative that you find the tooth and pick it up only from the crown of the tooth (don’t touch the root) and if it appears dirty, do not scrub it, but rinse lightly with water.
Next, the tooth needs to stay moist, so if you can, drop it in a cup of milk and then call your dentist right away, because the survival of the tooth depends on it. Your dentist may instruct you to possibly clean the tooth and place it back in the spot where it was knocked out. Sometimes people don’t feel comfortable doing that, but it helps to get the tooth replanted sooner.
Most dentists will make time for a emergency visit so that they can get the tooth back in place with a splint. Once it heals, a root canal will probably be needed if the inside died. If it’s a newer tooth it might actually heal on its own. Hope this helps!
This blog post is brought to you by Des Moines cosmetic dentist, Dr. Phelan Thomas. For more information on the services he provides, please visit his Des Moines cosmetic dentist website