Accidents can happen but what to do afterwards?

The following set of guidelines are recommended by experts in the event a tooth is damaged or knocked out (avulsed). If there is additional trauma to the lip or face then it is best to present initially to a medical emergency service for a professional assessment.

Generally, the affected tooth is likely to be a front one. Firstly determine whether the tooth is a baby or adult (permanent) tooth. The age of the patient is the easiest way to identify this. If they are under 6 years of age it is likely to be a baby tooth. These teeth must not be reimplanted into the socket as this could cause potential damage to the adult tooth underneath.

For an adult tooth that has been knocked out, science tells us that the best outcomes are provided when the tooth is urgently re-implanted into the original position.

These are the steps to follow:

  • Keep calm
  • Locate the missing tooth, always handle it by the crown (the top white part) not the root.
  • If the tooth is dirty, do not rinse it with water. Your best bet is to have the patient spit into a container and gently rinse using the patient’s own saliva. If this is not possible (for example if the patient is unconscious or too distressed) then milk or saline may be used.
  • Gently implant the tooth back into the original socket position. If you are unable to do this then use a storage medium to contain the tooth and patient saliva to transport it along with the patient to emergency care.

What happens next?

Once any urgent soft tissue bleeding or trauma has been addressed:

  • The emergency Dentist will splint the tooth to adjacent teeth by linking them with a wire. Patients must avoid putting any pressure in the area so the tooth does not move and has the best chance of firming up in the socket.
  • The tooth will be reviewed and x-rayed at regular intervals over the next 4-5 years to monitor progress. It is important to note that even if the tooth does re-establish in the area, it is highly likely that the nerve will not survive and a root canal treatment will be required either immediately or some months on. Other complications may arise at a later date such as root resorption https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_resorption or ankylosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooth_ankylosis
  • . If a root canal treatment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_canal_treatment has been involved then the tooth will become more brittle and prone to fracture.

If you or someone you know has a dental injury or a tooth knocked out, you should seek emergency dental and medical care. Taking immediate action maximises the chances of retaining the tooth.

Once first aid and emergency care has been applied it is ideal to advise your Orthodontist https://www.mountlawleyorthodontics.com.au/about-us/meet-the-team/ of the incident. They can then assist in the long -term planning and care for the affected tooth in the future.

Dental Trauma. After care
Splinted teeth following trauma