Teeth seem so strong, and they are, but they can also be knocked out rather easily. Here’s how it happens and what to do if it happens to you.
Ways Teeth Get Knocked Out
Teeth can get knocked out very easily. One way is by getting hit in the mouth with something. Another way is to fall and have your teeth hit the ground or something hard. If your teeth get knocked out, the best thing you can do is get to an emergency dentist in Houston Texas fast.
But, if you can’t get to a dentist, you should try to put the teeth back in yourself.
Putting Knocked-Out Teeth Back In
Sometimes, knocked out teeth can be repaired. But, sometimes not. It all depends on how quickly you react.
The sooner you get that tooth back in, the better. Knocked out teeth with the highest chance of being saved are those put back in within an hour. If yours is knocked out, fell on the ground or in the dirt, you’ll need to prep it before putting it back in.
Since bacteria is everywhere, wash off your tooth and try to get it disinfected. If you’re unsure about anything, don’t jam the tooth back in your mouth. You may introduce bacteria into your bloodstream this way.
Most of the time, you will want to use alcohol to disinfect the tooth. When you stick the tooth back in your mouth, make sure you push the root in until the tooth sticks. It’s going to hurt, but it will get the tooth back in.
If you do try to put it back in yourself, here are some tips:
Handle with care. Don’t touch the root (the part that goes into your gum). It can be easily damaged, and you don’t want bacteria from your hand getting into the gum pocket.
If the tooth is dirty, hold it by the crown and rinse with milk. If you don’t have milk, rinse with water. But, don’t wipe it off with a shirt or washcloth — any fabric that could damage the tooth.
Keep the tooth moist. Drop it into a glass of milk. If you can’t, put it in your mouth and keep it between your cheek and gum. A young child might not be able to do this. If it’s your tooth, try to hold it in there until you can get it to the dentist.
Most of the time, these are enough to get the tooth to go back into place or keep it preserved long enough to get it back into the mouth by the dentist. You will likely have to get a followup checkup with the dentist to make sure nothing bad is going on in there.
And, it’s not guaranteed the tooth will stay in. A lot depends on how the tooth was knocked out, whether it was damaged, and whether it was put back in properly.
Anne Stewart works on reception at a busy dental clinic. Often the first port of call for anxious patients she has built up her knowledge to answer a range of dentistry questions.
It’s always a good idea to be prepared. My kids both do karate and you never know when they could get a tooth knocked out from sparring (even though they wear mouth guards).
This is great to know! I honestly wouldn’t of known what to do in that circumstance!
I never would have thought you could put back in knocked out teeth This is great information to know.
Ow- And I never knew you could actually transplant teeth back in!
Just thinking about getting me teeth knocked out, hurts. I definitely will not put them in myself, I would run to the emergency room. Thanks for sharing, extremely informative.
I knew about the milk trick. Fortunately I haven’t had to try it out yet!
I’m really good when it comes to most things…vomit, blood, all the stuff that comes with having kids. But teeth make me squeamish. Not sure how I’d react if a tooth got knocked out.
Oh wow, I had no idea you could save a knocked out tooth. This is some helpful information!
I don’t know if I could put the tooth back in by myself. I’m not a big fan of pain. But if this ever does happen to me or someone I know at least I know what to do now. Thanks for the info.