Family Dentist 

There are many ways it can happen: Your child may take a hard hit while playing sports or trip and fall on his or her face, knocking out a permanent tooth. However it occurs, the loss of a permanent tooth is a dental emergency. Often, though not always, it may be possible to restore the tooth to its former place, but only if you take quick action.

1. Remain Calm

It can be scary when a child’s tooth is knocked out, for you as well as the child. However, you need your child to be calm and cooperative. Your child will take his or her behavioral cues from you, so if you do not panic, your child is less likely to do so.

2. Contact the Dentist

There’s an approximately 30-minute window in which reimplantation of the tooth by a dentist has the best chance of success. Call and arrange an emergency appointment as soon as possible. Keep your dentist’s after-hours number handy if needed, and perhaps also the numbers of other dentists that may see an emergency patient if your regular provider is not available.

3. Control the Bleeding

The loss of a permanent tooth due to trauma can cause bleeding. You can control it with a small piece of folded gauze. Your child can hold it in place or bite down on it, whatever is more comfortable.

4. Recover and Rinse the Tooth

If the tooth has fallen out onto the ground, it may be dirty. If you have milk available, you can use it to rinse off the tooth, but water will work in a pinch. Be careful not to scrub the tooth, and hold it by the top (crown) rather than the bottom (root). Also, take care to plug the sink first (if available) to avoid losing the tooth down the drain.

5. Attempt Reinsertion

Try putting the tooth back into its socket. Do so very gently, pushing until it is level with the surrounding teeth. Skip this step if your child will not cooperate, and if you have too much difficulty, abandon the attempt.

6. Keep the Tooth Moist

If you cannot reinsert the tooth, soak a clean piece of gauze in milk or water and wrap the tooth securely inside it. Some dentists advise letting the child hold the tooth in his or her mouth, between the cheek and gum, but in that case, the child could accidentally swallow it.

While there are no guarantees, the odds of the dentist being able to restore your child’s tooth are good if you follow these steps to the best of your ability. For more information about your child’s dental care, contact a dental office.

Resources:

Wikipedia, Dental Care

Alliance Dentistry, Family Dentist Morrisville