One of the most common reasons for athletes needing emergency dental services in the Perth area is having a knocked-out tooth. Those who aren’t athletes also get teeth knocked out from time to time due to accidents or even the occasional fight. But athletes seem to suffer broken or knocked-out teeth more than the rest of the population.
Prevention First
One of the most consistently effective ways to prevent knocked out teeth is to always wear a mouthguard when participating in any sports that carry a risk of injury. At eDental Perth, we can provide you with a custom-fitted mouthguard that will keep you as safe as possible while playing sports. Wearing a mouthguard greatly decreases the chance that you will have a tooth knocked out.
What to Do?
Occasionally, though, even with a mouthguard, incidental contact in a sport can cause a tooth to be knocked out. The first thing to know is that if you do it quickly enough, you can actually put the tooth back in its socket.
Find the tooth and only handle it by the crown. Then, rinse it in milk or water to make sure it is clean. If you don’t have access to milk or water, you can suck the root clean. Make sure to be extremely gentle so as not to damage the root or lodge any of the dirt in your exposed socket.
Then, place the tooth back in the socket. Make sure it is facing the right way. If there is any way to do this within the first 30 minutes, it will give you the best chance of retaining the tooth.
Then, you will need to hold the tooth in place. You can bite gently on cloth or gauze. You can also use aluminium foil to hold it in place.
If you can’t replace it, either put it in a cup of milk, seal it in a plastic bag or wrap or put it in your cheek.
Then, you will need an emergency dentist. Call eDental in Perth: (08) 9361 1728.