4 Tips For Handling a Knocked Out Tooth

A dental emergency can strike at any time, and without warning. However, it’s important to always be prepared and to seek treatment from your dentist as soon as possible in order to avoid any pain, or even worse, permanent damage and tooth loss.

Some of the most common dental emergencies include:

• Knocked out tooth
• Chipped/broken tooth
• Lost filling
• Bleeding gums
• Unexplained tooth pain
• Swollen jaw or mouth

Quick and Effective Dental Emergency Care in Calgary

At Marlborough Dental Centre, we know that a dental emergency can happen at any time. That’s why we offer quickly and comprehensive emergency dental care for our patients in Calgary. Whether you have had a sporting accident, or your filling has broken, we can help restore the function and aesthetics to your smile.

Want to know more?

Emergency Dental Care

4 Tips For Handling a Knocked Out Tooth (Adult versus Baby Tooth)

If an adult (permanent) tooth is knocked out, there is a high chance that it will survive if it’s put back in the gum straight away. However, baby teeth should NOT be put back in the mouth, as this can damage the developing permanent tooth under the gum.

If you are unsure of what to do with a knocked out tooth, here are some tips on how to handle the situation.

What to Do With Knocked Out Adult Teeth

• Always handle the tooth by the crown (the part you chew with) NOT the root (the part that is nearer to the gum).
• If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it with milk or saline for a few seconds. Do not use water.
• You can try to hold the tooth in place by gently biting down on something soft, such as a handkerchief.
• You can try to slip the tooth back into the socket while making sure it’s the right way around. In many cases, it may slip right back in. However don’t force it. If it doesn’t go back in easily, keep it moist using saliva or milk, and see your dentist immediately.
• Seek emergency dental care as soon as possible.

What NOT to Do With a Knocked Out Adult Tooth

• Don’t let the tooth dry out. Always keep it moist.
• Never clean the tooth by scrubbing, using cleaning products, or water.
• Do not force the tooth back in.

What to Do With a Knocked Out Baby Tooth

If your child has his/her baby tooth knocked out, you should never try to put it back in the gum because it may:

• Fuse to the bone. This will create problems when it’s time for the baby tooth to fall out naturally.
• Affect the growth of the adult tooth.
• Damage the adult tooth sitting underneath the gum.

What Your Dentist Will Do With a Knocked Out Adult Tooth

• The first step your dentist will take is to use water and flush out any debris from the socket. Then he/she will slip the tooth back into place. It is very important to reimplant your tooth as soon as possible, and this should occur within one hour of the accident.
• Depending on several factors, including how long the tooth was out of your mouth, your dentist may perform a root canal immediately, or they may wait.
• A splint will be used to hold your damaged tooth in place for several days.
• If the bone around the tooth is not fractured, then the root will reattach firmly to the bone in approximately one month. However, more damage may require 6-8 weeks of repair time.
• Your dentist will want to examine the tooth in 3-6 months to make sure there are no signs of infection and the tooth has reimplanted successfully.

Quick Emergency Dental Care in Calgary

If you are suffering from a dental emergency, our Calgary dentists offer quick and efficient emergency dental care to restore function to your smile and eliminate any pain and/or discomfort. To find out more, visit our Calgary dental clinic at 1141-3800 Memorial Drive NE, Calgary, AB, T2A 2K2.

Alternatively, you can contact us at 403-248-2066 or fill in our online contact form.