Statistics suggest that fewer than one in twenty adults will experience the shock and pain of knocking out a permanent tooth. However, if you fall into that unlucky number, then the first thing you might think immediately after the event is, “what just happened?” This may seem curious because, after all, you were there. But trauma research has revealed this response to be quite natural. This is because your brain chemically prioritises survival at the expense of memory retention.
This fact makes it even more critical for you to be prepared for a dental emergency before it happens. So in case it does, you can gather your wits and focus on your survival instinct, but this time for the survival of your tooth. And if you have a knocked-out, or avulsed tooth, saving it is the Painfree Dentistry team’s highest goal. Here are our recommendations.
We Can Save an Avulsed Tooth
If your tooth is knocked out but still in one piece, the best possible course of action is to immediately re-insert it back into its socket. The thought of this may make you cringe, but if you can replace your tooth this way and visit us immediately, your chances of saving it are better than 90 per cent.
If you can’t return the tooth to its home, then we recommend you follow these steps promptly before calling our dental office:
- Handle the tooth by the crown; avoid touching the roots
- Brush debris off gently, do not rinse with tap water
- Place the tooth in a container of saliva, or milk
- Hold a cold compress on the cheek against the empty socket to lessen swelling
- Make sure you can get to our clinic quickly
How Long a Tooth Survives after Being Knocked Out
We cannot overemphasise how vital timeliness is when saving a knocked-out tooth. If you can re-insert your tooth, then your chances of saving your tooth go up significantly, but you still cannot delay. If you handle your tooth as we’ve advised, you have around an hour to get to your dentist in order to have a good chance of keeping your tooth alive.
Emergency Dentist in Harris Park and Paramatta
Dental emergencies can come from anywhere and happen without warning. An avulsed tooth may be rare, but it demands urgent action. So if you’ve knocked out a permanent tooth, we encourage you not to delay. Instead, call our dental clinic immediately.