Tips On Dealing With A Knocked-Out Tooth
Posted on: 25 March 2017
If you are a parent of a kid that plays a contact sport, there's a good chance that you are worried about the health of your child's teeth, especially if he or she already has all of his or her adult teeth. You don't want your child to lose a tooth and have it be gone permanently. Luckily, if you can find the tooth, there are some steps that you can take to make sure that he or she is able to have it put back into his or her mouth. Here are some tips that you should look at in order to deal with a knocked out tooth appropriately -- and to increase the chances that you will be able to have a dentist put it back into your child's mouth.
1. Avoid Touching the Root at All Costs
Once you locate the tooth, pick it up by the crown, or the part that looks familiar to you. This is the part that sticks up above the gums and is used for chewing. Do not touch the part of the tooth that you might not recognize. This is the root of the tooth and is usually located beneath your child's gums. Damaging the root by touching it will make it harder for an emergency dentist to reattach your child's tooth.
2. Keep the Tooth Moist
If your child loses his or her tooth somewhere you can get milk, place the tooth in a bowl, dish, or bottle of milk. This will keep the tooth from drying up, making it much easier to reattach in the future. If you are not somewhere where you cannot get milk, see if your child would be willing to hold it in his or her mouth. This is the second best place for it. If your child is not willing to do this or is so young that he or she is likely to swallow it, have your child spit repeatedly into a small cup or dish. Have him or her do this until the cup is full enough to totally cover the tooth. This is another good way to keep it moist, since the tooth is used to the makeup of your child's spit. If your child cannot produce the spit, put the tooth in water. This is not the best liquid but it will do in a pinch.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in dental emergencies.
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