It is Thursday afternoon and your son takes a big fall and knocks one of his permanent teeth out. While it’s important to call your pediatric dentist and request that you come in for an emergency visit, you can also take matters into your own hands by adding a bit of damage control into the situation. The sooner you act, the better the chances the tooth can be saved.
Follow these steps for the safest and most effective way to handle a knocked-out tooth:
1. If the tooth is dirty, hold the tooth by the crown and rinse it with water. Pay careful attention to not scrub the tooth and leave any remaining tissue shreds on the tooth.
2. If your child is the non-squirmy type, gently secure the tooth in its socket with a clean wash cloth or piece of gauze. Have him hold it into place, while you drive to the dentist office.
3. If having your child or another person hold the tooth in place is not possible, then put the rinsed tooth into a small container filled with milk, saline or saliva and head to the dentist, with the tooth and patient in tow. Avoid placing the tooth in water or worse yet, transporting it dry.
4. You can also place the tooth in your child’s mouth, next to the cheek, as long as your child is old enough to not swallow it. The mouth will prevent the tooth from being exposed to harmful bacteria and the moisture from the saliva protects the root.
5. If your child is bleeding from his tooth socket, rinse his mouth with water and hold a compress of tissue or gauze on the socket until the bleeding stops.
Having a tooth knocked out is far from an enjoyable experience but by acting swiftly and smartly, you can increase the chances that your child’s tooth can be properly restored into its rightful place: His mouth.
For more information on this topic or any dental related procedure check out our website. If you have any questions, or a dental emergency, you can reach Dr. Jay at Livonia Dental Care at 734-427-7555. "Like" us on Facebook and check us out on YouTube.
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