Tooth knocked out: what to do?
Dental accidents are common in children through play and sports. The front teeth in particular have to suffer when they fall due to their relatively unprotected position in the mouth. Here you can find out what you can do if your child has knocked out a tooth.
A knocked out tooth can be saved
If your child knocks out a tooth while playing , it is not necessarily permanently lost. By acting quickly and prudently, you can save the tooth so that it can be replanted. Even if only a piece has broken off, a dentist can repair this accident.
Tooth knocked out: first measures are rest, cool, stop the bleeding
If your child has knocked out a tooth, they are probably anxious and in pain. It is therefore particularly important that you keep calm and do not further upset him. If your child is bleeding profusely from the mouth, cool the area externally and stop the bleeding with a gauze bandage or a cold, lint-free cloth.
Keep the tooth moist and don’t waste time
Before you visit a dentist or a dental clinic, consider the following tips:
- look for a tooth Note that you must find the tooth again within 30 minutes. If it is exposed to dry air for a longer period of time, a so-called “replantation” is no longer possible.
- Don’t clean! Note that you do not clean or disinfect the tooth, as this will destroy important cells on the tooth surface.
- Don’t touch the root! Make sure that you do not touch the root of the tooth that has been knocked out, only the crown.
Tooth knocked out: how to transport?
- Tooth rescue box: Immediately place the tooth in a tooth rescue box (available in any pharmacy without a prescription).
- UHT milk: If you don’t have a box, you can also put the tooth in cold UHT milk (not fresh milk!) or in physiological saline solution from the doctor or pharmacy. The tooth can be kept there for up to three hours.
- Freezer bag: If necessary, you can also transport the tooth in an unused freezer bag. However, do not put the tooth in saliva or plain water. Also, you must not store it dry, i.e. not in your hand or in a handkerchief.
Milk teeth can also be saved in this way if they still have a root.
When the tooth is loose or half knocked out
The basic rule is to leave the tooth in the mouth for the time being. It only needs to be removed if it is very loose. Depending on the age of the child, swallowing or inhaling the tooth is otherwise possible. And this can lead to suffocation.