First Aid for a Tooth Knocked out of Position
Sometimes mouth injuries like a tooth knocked out of position can be
so severe that it can also cause damage to other teeth, as well as gums, cheeks, or lips. To minimize the negative consequences, you should contact the dentist as soon as possible because the best results are achieved when the tooth is reimplanted earlier than two hours after the injury. But before you go to the dentist, here are some first aid steps that you can do for a tooth knocked out of position.
1) Find the tooth. Be very careful because any damage that you cause collecting the tooth will make the tooth reimplantation more difficult. Don’t touch the root of the tooth: only touch the crown. Rinse it in a bowl with warm water for about ten seconds to remove the dirt or other foreign substances but don’t scrab or use alcohol for this purpose. In short, the less you touch the tooth, the better.
2) Store the tooth. Rinse your mouth and try to insert the tooth into the correct socket. To make sure that the tooth stays in its place, bite down on a gauze pad. If the tooth doesn’t stay in place, you can store it between your cheek and gums to prevent a dry socket. Alternatively, put the tooth in milk or tap water and store it there until the visit to the dentist. Don’t put it in alcohol, mouthwash or salty water.
3) Treat symptoms. If there’s bleeding, use a sterile cloth to control it. If you’re feeling pain, a cold compress or ibuprofen will be able to help.
4) Go to the dentist. The sooner you see the dentist, the more are the chances of successful reimplantation. If for some reason you can’t go to the dentist, immediately go to the emergency room. Of course, don’t forget to take your tooth with you.
