Critical Tips for Taking Proper Care of a Knocked Out Tooth

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It is estimated by the American Association of Endodontists that every year an average of around five million teeth are knocked out. Some of the more common causes are related to hard falls, blows to the face, or sports injuries by athletes using inadequate head protection during contact sports.

If one of your teeth is knocked out, fast and intelligent first aid will help improve the outcome of the situation. Dr. Amir Nikraz offers these basic first aid tips to help you take proper care of a knocked out tooth.

If the tooth was fractured, damaged, or if there is some of it still lodged in the socket, it most likely means that our dentist will need to perform a root canal to restore the tooth, or extract the remnants of the tooth from the socket. Once the area is healed he can explain your options for restoring or replacing the tooth.

If the tooth was knocked out cleanly from the socket and none of it remains in your gums, you can keep it alive by holding it between your cheek and gums. Many stores also sell a tooth preservation product in their pharmacy section. This is a canister filled with a specially formulated nourishing gel. To use it, you simply place the knocked out tooth in the jar and seal it. The tooth should stay alive long enough for Dr. Amir Nikraz to assess the situation.

If you have oral first aid questions, or you would like further tips on how to handle oral emergencies in San Clemente, California, you can call Artistic Dentistry at 949-366-1177 to set up a consultation.