Your kids are playing innocently at the park while you watch them from the bench. Suddenly, your youngest is screaming and flails on the ground in pain. You run over to comfort him to discover that his tooth has been knocked out clear from its socket.
It’s easy to panic. However, dental trauma is common and can happen at any time. The sooner you can get to the emergency dentist, the better. Here are some steps that you can take to help to preserve the tooth after it’s been knocked out.
Reinsert Tooth
If possible, try to reinsert the PERMANENT tooth back into its socket. DO NOT REINSERT BABY TOOTH IF ITS COMPLETELY OUT. The less time that the tooth spends exposed to the air and out of your mouth, the greater the chance that your dentist won't be able to restore it. In the event that the tooth feels like it won't fall right back out, it is still imperative that you visit the emergency dentist right away.
Hold in Place
Try to hold the tooth in place in its socket. You can use clean gauze to apply gentle pressure to the tooth as you hold it. If the tooth is in multiple pieces, you will not be able to keep it together enough to do this. In this case, you'll just have to rush over to the emergency dentist. Try to make sure that you have all of the pieces of the tooth with you.
Don’t Touch the Root
Sometimes the tooth is knocked out intact. It is important that you take care not to touch the root of the tooth, as you may damage it. Try to hold the tooth gently by the crown instead. Be careful that you don’t put too much pressure on the tooth that you break it.
Rinse in Milk if Dirty
If the PERMANENT tooth is dirty, you can rinse off the tooth with a small amount of milk or clean water. The longer that dirt and contaminants are left on the tooth, the worse the outcome for the tooth. You can place the tooth in a small container of milk or salt water to keep it moist on the way to the dentist’s office
Call Your Emergency Dentist
A knocked out tooth or another dental trauma is an emergency. It is extremely important that you seek professional assistance as soon as possible. If the dental trauma occurs during regular business hours, you can call your child's pediatric dentist and ask to be seen immediately. If it happens in the evening or on the weekends, you should call your dentist's emergency line.
Schedule a Pediatric Dentist Appointment
If you want to learn more about what to do in the event of dental trauma or need to schedule an appointment with an experienced pediatric dentist, contact us to schedule an appointment at one of our four New Jersey locations:
- Freehold: 732-625-8080
- North Brunswick: 732-249-1010
- Edison: 732-549-3773
- Roselle: 908-245-5556