It’s a dreadful thought, but many of us have been there.
Despite our best precautions, sometimes the unexpected just happens. Whether it’s that suspicious particle in your food you just chomped into and chipped your tooth, or your child has fallen over and knocked a tooth, or you’ve had an unfortunate sporting accident that has forced your tooth out of place, here are a few tips on some preliminary measures you can take to remedy the situation before getting it sorted out by your dentist.
Knocked out tooth (dental avulsion)
- Handle the tooth carefully. Try not to touch the root as it can be damaged easily.
- If the tooth is dirty, hold it by the crown and rinse it with milk. If you do not have
milk put it in your saliva but not in water. - Keep the tooth moist either in a glass of milk or in your mouth between cheek and
gum. This is imperative, because, after 15 minutes of dry storage the chances of your tooth surviving are minimal. - See your dentist immediately.
Tooth displacement (luxation, extrusion)
- If it’s the primary tooth of a child (i.e. one of the baby teeth), place a cold wet cloth over the mouth. You can give your child some Panadol for Children to help ease some of the pain.
- If it’s a permanent tooth, rinse it with cold water, and keep an ice pack over the lip and mouth to reduce swelling. Take some Nurofen for pain and anti-inflammation relief.
- Try to reposition the luxated tooth back to its normal position using gentle to
moderate finger pressure. - Gently hold the tooth in position.
- See your dentist as soon as possible.
Tooth Fracture
- Rinse the mouth with warm water.
- Use a cold cloth or ice pack to reduce swelling.
- Take some paracetamol or anti-inflammatory drugs such as Nurofen if the pain is significant.
- Seek dental advice as soon as possible.
Pushed-up tooth (dental intrusion)
- For both baby and adult teeth alike, rinse the area with cold water.
- Keep an ice pack over the lip and mouth to reduce swelling.
- If needed, take some form of of painkiller such as Panadol or Neurofen, but do not Aspirin.
- See your dentist as soon as possible.
Tooth was hit (dental concussion)
- For both baby and adult teeth alike, rinse the area with cold water.
- Keep an ice pack over the lip and mouth to reduce swelling.
- If needed, take some form of of painkiller such as Panadol or Neurofen, but do not Aspirin.
- See your dentist if possible.
- Watch for the discolouration of the tooth, because it could imply a damaged nerve which will require root canal therapy.