Here Are The Three Things You Should Never Do When A Tooth Gets Knocked Out

Posted on: 15 July 2019

Having a tooth knocked out is painful and alarming, but it's not the end of the world. In fact, dentists can often restore knocked-out teeth, saving you the time, trouble, and expense of having a tooth replacement made for you. However, that can only happen if you avoid these three potential pitfalls. Here's what you should never do when a tooth gets knocked out.

Put it in Water

It might seem like a good idea to put a tooth in a fluid. In fact, it's often recommended that you put a tooth in milk or a specially-made tooth preservative that's designed to keep teeth alive and healthy after they've been knocked out. While these are good ideas, never try to substitute water for the milk or preservative. The reason for this is that the pH level of water is too acidic for teeth. It can damage the internal structures of the tooth, killing it and making it so that you can no longer use it.

Let it Dry

Another risk is simply wrapping up the knocked-out tooth and leaving it. This will allow the tooth's root and inner pulp to dry out. The tooth is still alive at this point and needs vital nutrients in order to stay that way. It can survive for a period of time without a blood supply, but it needs moisture. If you just wrap it up and tuck it in a purse or pocket, it's less likely to be useable when you get to the dentist's office.

Put Off Getting Help

Lastly, you should never put off getting help from a dentist. A knocked-out tooth essentially has an expiration date, no matter what you do to preserve it. Ultimately, the tooth will become non-viable if left out of the mouth for too long. This means that you'll have wasted the opportunity to replace the tooth, and you'll need an artificial replacement instead.

Dentists can typically replace a knocked-out tooth if you get help fast. That's why the best choice when you're in this situation is to hurry to an emergency dentist's office. Emergency dentists specialize in situations that need care right away and they tend to keep extended hours that allow people to get help when their own dentist's offices are closed. If you have a knocked-out tooth right now, or someone you care about does, get help from an emergency dentist right away.

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