What Exactly is an Avulsed Tooth?
The term “knocked-out tooth” is pretty descriptive, but it doesn’t necessarily capture the full extent of the situation. The tooth is knocked out of the mouth, but there’s a lot that goes on beneath the surface. When a tooth is knocked out, it is called an avulsed tooth, it’s specifically being displaced from the jawbone. However, teeth aren’t merely resting in the jawbone, they’re attached by a certain type of ligament: the periodontal ligament. How damaged the ligament is can play a big role in determining whether the tooth can be immediately replaced.
What You Should do if Your Tooth Gets Knocked Out
Historically, it was recommended that you keep a knocked-out tooth wet in order to keep it as healthy as possible before a dentist can reimplant it into your mouth. While this isn’t exactly true, it does have a kernel a truth. What you actually need to do is keep the tooth in an environment that is as close to the environment of your mouth as possible, with wetness being one such factor. What this really means is that you want to clean that tooth right off and remove any dirt that may have gotten on it.
Naturally, this isn’t a long-term solution to the problem. You’re keeping it in the best condition possible while you rush off to a medical professional, who will determine the best course of action going forward. Ideally, you want to get to the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in South Ottawa within half an hour, but hope isn’t necessarily lost if it takes you more than an hour.
What Are The Treatment Options?
Once you get the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa, our dental experts will determine whether reimplantation is the right choice. If there is other damage to the mouth, such as if the patient is of particularly advanced age, or if the patient has an unusual medical history, then reimplanting the tooth may not be a good idea even if the tooth has been perfectly preserved and delivered within the allotted time. This is further compounded by the fact that the majority of reimplanted teeth are eventually rejected anyway. If there are several worrying factors to consider as well, such as a tooth that was not preserved properly, then that could drive the chances of success down near zero.
For children that still have their baby teeth, reimplantation is essentially never done. Though putting the tooth back in can make for a full smile and more comfort in the short term, adult teeth will be growing in soon enough anyway. Reimplanting baby teeth can even potentially hinder the growth of adult teeth, leading to small benefits in the short term and serious problems in the long run.
Is it Necessary to See a Dentist After Getting a Tooth Knocked Out?
If you get a tooth knocked out, then you should absolutely see a dentist as soon as possible. You may have already resigned yourself to the possibility that the tooth is lost, but that doesn’t have to be the case. If you take the proper precautions, clean the tooth, preserve the tooth, and rush over to the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in South Ottawa in less than half an hour, then you stand a good chance of saving the tooth.
Accidents happen, and unfortunately knocked out teeth are quite common. Luckily, with the help of our dental experts at the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa, you can feel confident if your tooth gets accidentally knocked out. Even if the tooth cannot be reimplanted, there are so many other treatment options thanks to modern technology. If your tooth gets knocked out, contact the Upper Hunt Club Dental Centre in Ottawa immediately.
