5 Steps to Follow if a Tooth Falls Out -
Dental Emergency
Knowing what to do when you knock out a tooth or have a tooth-related injury is crucial to saving your tooth and avoiding painful infections. This since minutes and speed of action are key so we leave you with 5 Steps to Follow if a Tooth Falls Out.
Clearly, the best thing we can do is to take action today to prevent tooth loss before it happens, however, sometimes accidents happen that result in the loss of a tooth completely.
Eighty percent of teeth that come out of the mouth after trauma can be successfully reimplanted and 96% of the population is unaware of this.
Reasons why a tooth may fall out
A tooth can be lost not only by a blow or an accident but also by other types of diseases such as periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is a condition caused by plaque, tartar and bacteria around the tooth, which then infect the gums. This disease usually occurs when gingivitis is not resolved and the gums are diseased for a long time.
Over time, the gums become loose and create pockets around the root of the tooth.
The deeper the pocket, the more difficult it is to clean the area on your own. At the same time, the underlying bone will begin to shrink (resorb) due to inflammation caused by bacterial infection.
Traumatic injuries, on the other hand, tend to show up when you least expect them.
If you know that you are most at risk due to contact sports and similar hobbies, you should know that orofacial injuries are some of the most common injuries that athletes will experience.
Steps to take if a tooth falls out
1. Pick up the tooth from the crown.
This is one of the critical steps since it depends on the handling of the tooth that has fallen out, it depends on whether it is possible to recover it. Once you have located the tooth on the ground, you must take it from the crown or the thickest part of the tooth avoiding mistreating or touching the root.
2. Clean the tooth with water or serum.
Once you have picked up the tooth, it is important to clean it, especially if it is dirty with dirt or debris from the floor to keep the tooth as innocuous as possible.
The ideal is to be able to clean it with physiological serum, which is a saline solution composed of sodium chloride (common salt) dissolved in distilled water. If the saline solution is not available, the tooth can be cleaned with water.
It is important to avoid disinfectants and other cleaning or disinfecting substances since they can damage the tooth and the root and make it impossible to recover the tooth.
3. Reposition the tooth in the best possible position.
Once the tooth is cleaned, you should try to reposition it as naturally as possible. The better the placement position, the more likely we are to save the tooth.
After it has been placed, it is important to hold it in position by biting on gauze or absorbent cotton.
4. Keep the tooth in serum
In case you are unable to place the tooth, the best option would be to place the tooth in a glass of milk or saline solution until you get to the dentist so that you can receive emergency treatment.
5. Going to the dentist
Being able to have a dentist or odontologist available for dental emergencies is extremely important since, in dental care, situations occur that sometimes we can not anticipate and you can not make an appointment so far in advance.
If a dental emergency occurs, it is important that you have already seen the possibilities of dental clinics that can assist you in these cases, which ideally can be your trusted dentist.
This is key because knocked out teeth should be treated by a dentist within 1 to 2 hours.
What happens if I fail to save a tooth that falls out?
There are some options that can be performed to replace a tooth that has fallen out and has not been able to recover.
As with other treatments, it is extremely important to do this as early as possible to avoid changes in tooth positions and bite.
Over time, the surrounding teeth will begin to shift out of place. Opposing teeth may also super-erupt in an attempt to find a biting partner. So, even if the missing tooth is in the back of the mouth, the front teeth may be affected.
Some of the tooth replacement treatments include dental implants, fixed bridges and removable partial dentures.
Implants are the best option, as they are permanent and non-invasive to the adjacent teeth.
In case you have this situation, it is important that you tell us the whole case and its details so that we can find the best solution.
Where to go in case of a dental emergency in Costa Rica?
In case you have a dental emergency of any kind or lose a tooth, do not hesitate to contact Lamicq Dental Care to schedule an emergency appointment as soon as possible.
We are located in San Francisco de Dos Rios and have emergency hours Monday through Sunday from 8am to 6pm.
For any questions or dental emergency you may have, contact us on our WhatsApp and we will gladly schedule an appointment as soon as possible to save your teeth!