There are lots of ways a tooth can get knocked out: from playing contact sports, on the playground, in a bicycle crash, or just roughhousing at home. No matter the cause, a knocked out tooth is an emergency situation, and if it happens, you should make a beeline to OnCall Dental in Fresno.
Of course, when a tooth gets knocked out it is unexpected. There is probably going to be blood, maybe even a lot of blood. There will be pain, too, and shock. It’s important that you keep calm, because time is of the essence.
This is critical: you must act quickly. The chances of having a tooth successfully put back into your jaw decrease sharply after about half an hour.
The first thing to do is locate the knocked out tooth, and make sure you find any fragments. Depending on how it happened, fragments may be on the ground, in your clothing, or in the clothing of a teammate or opponent. A fragment could even be in someone’s hair.
Do not pick the tooth up by the root. Rinse it gently, taking care not to scrub it, then put the tooth back in the gap from where it was just knocked out. If that hurts too much, put it into a small container or wrap it in plastic with a little milk to keep it moist. Milk has proteins that keep a steady acid-to-alkaline ratio. But don’t waste time looking for a carton, if one isn’t handy. You can always moisten it with spit.
By now you should be headed toward OnCall Dental, where we will make every effort to place it back in your jaw. It bears repeating that the sooner we get to it, the better. Blood vessels and other surrounding tissue have also been damaged, and a root canal may be necessary somewhere down the road. Even so, the tooth can take root and be saved.
Remember that at OnCall Dental in Fresno, we handle dental emergencies on a routine basis. You don’t need an appointment; walk-ins are always welcome.
