Losing teeth can be a traumatic experience, especially if you’ve had an unexpected blow to the face – ouch! If your tooth has been knocked out, you will need to see a dentist pretty sharpish but while you’re waiting for our expert attention, it’s a good idea to follow these emergency tips:
- Locate the tooth (it could have shot out quite a way!)
- Pick it up carefully by the crown (that’s the visible part of the tooth that sticks out of your gum)
- If it is a little grubby then rinse it gently in water and pop it back in position, making sure it’s the right way round. (A word of warning – don’t try to re-insert a baby tooth as it may damage the adult tooth growing underneath.)
- Bite on a soft pad, such as a folded hanky, to keep the tooth in place.
- See your dentist pronto!
If you can’t put the tooth back in position then keep it in some milk until you are seen by the dentist.
What we will do
If you have managed to put the tooth back in its original place, we will check it’s in the right position and then splint it to the teeth either side to hold it in place.
If you’ve popped the tooth in milk, we will numb the affected area and reposition the tooth and then splint as above.
All is not lost
If you weren’t able to locate the lost tooth or the dentist was unable to reattach it then there are other ways to fill in the gap:
- Denture – this is a removable false tooth that can be taken out for cleaning – in the case of a single lost tooth, a partial denture would be used and attached to remaining teeth.
- Bridge – this is also a false tooth but it is positioned between two crowns which are placed over the teeth either side and cemented in place.
- Dental implant – this is the most effective and natural looking way to replace missing teeth. An implant is a long lasting solution consisting of a titanium post that becomes part of the jawbone and acts like a root (to support a replacement tooth). For a single lost tooth, one implant and a crown will fill in the gap, and implants can also be used to replace multiple missing teeth.
So if you’ve lost a precious pearly white give us a call on 01932 582 949 and we’ll try to return it to its rightful place or, if it’s gone for good, we’ll find a way to fill in the glaring gap.
