WHAT TO DO WITH A KNOCKED-OUT TOOTH

Emergency dental situations can happen at any time to anyone. Often times, they happen and patients are unsure as to how they can address the problem. This is especially true when patients experience the loss of a natural, adult tooth. Each year, it is estimated that approximately 5 million teeth are lost due to trauma to the mouth, often accidents and sports injuries. When Santa Rosa, CA area patients experience a knocked-out tooth, they may be unsure what to do. Below is a little information from Dr. Darren Gonzalez and his team regarding the steps to take when a natural tooth is lost due to injury.

First aid recommendations for a knocked-out tooth

Permanent teeth are the teeth in the smile that are intended to last a lifetime. If a permanent tooth has been lost from the smile, it is important that patients follow these steps to increase the chance of reattachment with Dr. Darren Gonzalez:

• Keep the tooth and pick it up by the crown, not the roots.
• Rinse the tooth off with water and gently remove any debris or dirt
• Place the tooth back into the socket and hold it in position
• Keep the tooth moist, either in the mouth or in a glass of milk if it cannot be reinserted
• Call the dentist right away to get into the office as soon as possible to attempt to reattach the tooth

Reattachment is not guaranteed, but the sooner the patient comes into the office and follows the above directions to protect the tooth, the more likely it can be resolved. Patients should not wait more than a few hours to get into a dentist’s practice with a knocked-out tooth as time is of the essence in situations such as this. If patients have knocked out a baby tooth, it should not be preserved or reattached as it can damage the permanent tooth underneath.

Schedule an emergency dental visit in Santa Rosa, CA

Do you need an emergency dental appointment and live in the area of Santa Rosa? Please call our office location at 1515 Montgomery Drive at (707) 542-1532 today to find out about our availability.