What do I do if my tooth was knocked out in an accident?

Nearly 5 million teeth in the U.S. are knocked out of the mouth each year due to accidents. In this blog I will give you tips you can use to preserve your tooth. DO NOT TRY TO RE-INSERT A BABY TOOTH. Only adult teeth can be re-implanted. This is an emergency, because you have limited amount of time to place the tooth back into the socket.

Tip #1 

Pick up the tooth by the crown, not the root.

Tip #2

Place the tooth in a zip lock bag with milk inside (not water). This should be done as soon as possible, preferably within 5 minutes. Go see a dentist, you have an hour to re-implant the tooth back into the socket. If you do not have milk around, keep the tooth inside your mouth, as the saliva will keep it safe as you go to the dentist.

Tip #3

If you cannot see the dentist within the hour, gently rinse it. Do not scrub the tooth or use any chemicals or soap. See the dentist ASAP.

Tip #4

After the tooth is successfully re-implanted, you will need a root canal in 4 weeks. If the tooth is fractured, highly decayed, or if the tooth came out due to periodontal disease, there is a high chance the tooth wont be able to be re-implanted. 

Tip #5

If you participate in contact sports, it is important to get a custom made mouth guard to protect you.

Tip #6

What if I cannot find the tooth that came out?

You can replace the missing tooth with a dental implant.

If this happens to you, call our office 7183018484 and we will help you.

Author

Dr. Emmanuil Ilyayev Dr. Emmanuil Ilyayev is a graduate of New York University College of Dentistry. He did his residency at Woodhull hospital in Brooklyn. He is a third generation dentist, following the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle. Dr. Ilyayev is focused on preventative care and educating his patients. He is gentle and has amazing bedside manners. He is a licensed dentist in New York and Florida. He is a well-rounded dentist and is up to date with the current trends in dentistry. He is trained to offer a variety of services including changing silver fillings into white fillings safely using a rubber dam, bonding, biocompatible crowns (Caps), bridges, restore implants, Invisalign, complete smile makeovers, root canals, whitening, veneers, dentures, and deep cleanings. He specializes in Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, Dental Pain. His office is also a snoring center where he helps people put an end to snoring by providing state of the art mouth pieces resulting in increase in airway making it easier to breathe.