What to Do After a Tooth Falls Out?

As a child, when a tooth falls out it is super exciting. Every lost tooth is a milestone event, as it indicates that you are growing up. Plus, for many children, it also means a visit from the Tooth Fairy to swap out those baby teeth for money. When you’re an adult, however, discovering that you lost a tooth is a much different experience than when you were a child losing your baby teeth. That’s because your baby teeth (or milk teeth) are supposed to fall out, but your adult teeth (permanent teeth) aren’t. However, there’s no need to panic if a permanent tooth falls out, as there are things that can be done to remedy the situation.

What to Do After a Tooth Falls Out?

Whether your tooth was knocked out when you were playing a game of catch with your son or daughter, or you fell and hit your mouth; whatever the cause, if you’ve discovered that you’ve lost an adult tooth, don’t panic. Instead, put the following tips into practice.

Find the tooth

First, make sure you aren’t in any danger. Then, if there is any bleeding, bite on a clean cloth to stop the bleeding. If the tooth is still in your mouth, do not take it out; keep it in there! If the tooth has fallen out of your mouth, find it, and pick it up by the crown; NEVER handle the root.

Clean it

If the tooth, or teeth, fall out of your mouth, clean it. While holding the crown, use your own saliva or milk to clean it. If you can’t create enough saliva and don’t have access to milk, rinse it under a tap, but only for a moment.

Place the tooth back in the socket

This is possibly the most important step. While it may be challenging, it’s imperative to place the tooth back in the socket, as doing so will help to keep the lining cells alive. In order to keep these cells alive, they have to be consumed with nutrients. The socket that the tooth came from is the ideal place to find these nutrients. To set the tooth back in place, simply insert it into the socket, apply gentle pressure, and then bite down on a clean cloth. If you can’t do this yourself, ask someone for help.

Store it

If you can’t successfully re-insert the tooth into the socket, store it in a suitable medium to keep the root cells alive. Options for storing the tooth include the following:

Fresh, pasteurized milk
Organic, GMO-free liquids, such as coconut oil, egg whites, or green tea
A pool of your own saliva

Visit Your Local Dentist

A missing adult tooth is considered a dental emergency. Call your local dentist’s office right away to make an appointment. Bring your tooth with you – either in the socket or in the storage medium – and the dentist will take it from there.

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