A series of periodontal ligaments anchors each of your teeth into the socket and holds them tight in your jaw bone. Unfortunately, there are instances when a blow to the face or an accidental fall can impact one of your teeth with enough force to sever the periodontal ligaments and knock the tooth out of the socket
To best handle a situation like this, Dr. Kevin M. Altieri offers a few essential first aid tips to help take care of a knocked out tooth.
If there is blood or debris in your mouth, you can rinse it away and sooth the injured tissues with lukewarm salt water. This will help you assess the extent of the damage to your gums and determine if any of the tooth remains in the socket.
Our dentist may be able to implant the knocked out tooth back into the socket, so long as it is whole and still alive.
If the knocked out tooth is whole and complete, you can keep it alive by holding it in your cheek. There are also tooth preservation products available available that are filled with a specially formulated nourishing gel. To use it, you simply place the knocked out tooth in the jar and seal it. With a bit of luck, the nourishing gel will keep the knocked out tooth alive long enough for Dr. Kevin M. Altieri to attempt to implant it back in the socket.
If the tooth was fractured, damaged, or if there is some of it still lodged in the socket, then Dr. Kevin M. Altieri will either need to perform a root canal or (in extreme cases) the remainder of the tooth will need to be extracted.
If one of your teeth has been knocked out or you would like additional tips to help you be better prepared for some common oral emergencies, you can call Bellaire Dental Excellence at 817-294-5513 to set up an appointment.