ADULT TEETH –
When an adult tooth is knocked out it is quite a different matter. If the root is not fractured, adult teeth can be re-implanted. The likelihood of the success with that procedure is mostly time dependent. Some authorities say that for every 10 minutes that the tooth is out of the mouth, your chances of saving the tooth go down by 10%. In other words, if the tooth is out of the mouth for 30 minutes you have a 70% chance of saving the tooth, but if it is out longer than an hour, then your chances are not very good. Our patients have our home phone number on every piece of paper they receive from our office. We are in the phone book and can usually be reached in short order for assistance with these kinds of emergencies.
What to do immediately if you are present when someone has an adult tooth knocked out……
Firstly, save any tooth that has been knocked out for possible re-implantation. Bring it to your dentist as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful re-implantation. Handle the tooth only by the crown (chewing edge). Do not try to clean it if it is not visibly soiled.
If there is visible debris on the tooth, do not try to remove it with anything more than a gentle, very brief stream of warm water.
Then just suspend it in milk until arriving at the dentist. The point is to avoid scrubbing the root. Any kind of mechanical cleaning process will remove biological components that are needed for re-implantation.
Use one of the following options to transport the tooth to the dentist:
1. If the tooth looks very clean, then try to replace the tooth in the socket, to the level of adjacent teeth. Bite down gently on gauze or a wet tea bag to help keep it in place. The surrounding teeth can be used as anchors. Care must be taken not to swallow the tooth.
2. If the tooth cannot be replaced in the socket, place it in a container and cover with a small amount of whole milk or saliva.
3. The tooth can also be carried inside the mouth, between lower lip and lower gum or under the tongue. Just don’t make the mistake of swallowing or aspirating it!
For additional first aid, follow these steps:
1. Apply a cold compress to the mouth and gums for pain.
2. Apply direct pressure, using gauze, to control bleeding.
Teeth that have been knocked out and re-implanted always need a root canal procedure. In our practice, we would recommend that be done by a root canal specialist to insure the best possible outcome. Specialists are going to be far more experienced with this sort of thing simply because of the volume of patients they see.
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