A common dental injury and one of the only real dental 'emergencies' is when a tooth has experienced trauma and has been displaced or 'avulsed' out of its socket. The time and actions taken immediately following such an incident can dramatically change the long term outlook for the tooth.
So what should you do if your own tooth or someone you know has had their tooth avulsed?
Ideally the tooth should be put back into its socket. Pick up the tooth by its crown (the white part you normally see in the mouth), and if it has picked up a lot of debris a gentle 10 second rinse with cold water is needed. Place the tooth back into the socket and have the patient bite down on a tissue/gauze until you get to the dentist.
If getting the tooth back into the socket is not possible there are a number of suitable storage mediums to place the tooth in until you reach the dental surgery. Milk, Hanks solution (special storage medium for avulsed teeth), or saline would be best. Alternatively the patient can keep the tooth in their mouth e.g. between the molars and cheek. DO NOT USE REGULAR WATER!
The critical time frame when a tooth has been avulsed is 60 mins. Once an incident has been identified, call the nearest dental office and inform them of the situation ahead of time so that they can prepare a treatment room for the patients arrival. Depending on the state of the tooth, time taken to arrive, age and health of the patient, your dentist will then be able to assess what treatment will be needed in the weeks and months following the incident.
Ideally such problems would best be avoided, so in our next blog entry we will discuss the different types of mouthguards available and which is best for you and your children.