Tooth loss is a very common health condition. Thousands of people lose teeth each year, yet tooth loss still comes with stigma and shame attached. We could lose our teeth for a whole host of reasons, but most people automatically make the assumption that it is related to negligence in some way. The truth is that most people clean their teeth, but they just aren’t cleaning them properly, and yes, this does, in turn, lead to tooth loss. But what happens if you’re one of the unlucky ones who lost teeth accidentally? Here’s what to do if you accidentally knock a tooth out.
Don't touch the tooth root!
This is very important. Make sure you hold the tooth by the crown, which is the white bit that would normally be visible in your mouth.
Clean it
If the tooth is dirty, you can either lick it clean, which is the best and safest option, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, run it under water for no longer than ten seconds. Once again, try to avoid touching the root of the tooth.
Put it back in your mouth
The best way to try and save a knocked-out tooth is to place it back in the socket it came from. Once you get the tooth in place, bite on a clean cloth to firmly hold the tooth in its socket. If the tooth will not go back into the socket easily, or if it is too painful, you can either put the tooth in milk, hold it on the inside of your cheek until the dentist can see you or put it in a pot of saliva. That last one may sound gross, but it can keep the tooth and the root alive while you wait to see the dentist. The most important thing is that you get to a dentist as soon as possible. If you can’t get a hold of the dentist locally then you can get advice from 111. If it's a milk tooth that has been knocked out, do not put the tooth back in as this could choke the child or damage the tooth. In such cases, it is always best to leave the tooth in milk or saliva.
What if they can’t save my tooth?
The thought of losing a tooth for good is very scary but completely understandable. However, there are now lots of amazing options to replace teeth, such as dental implants Nottingham. Dental implants can be a long-term or even lifetime fix to tooth loss. The fittings are implanted directly into the bone, so there is no need to worry about removing teeth to clean or eat. Dental implants also promote bone regeneration by stimulating the jawbone similar to how natural tooth roots would do, so you won’t need to worry about the bone surrounding the lost tooth shrinking and causing further tooth loss.
