If a tooth is knocked out or avulsed, you should attempt to put the tooth back in the socket and soon as possible. Every minute counts. A tooth that is replaced within the first 30 minutes has a good prognosis for long-term survival. If the tooth is out of the mouth for over two hours, the chances of keeping that tooth long term is minimal. If the tooth cannot be replaced immediately, it should be placed in a solution of either milk or a balance salt solution that can be purchased from the drugstore. If neither of these solutions is available, the best thing to do is place it in saliva (it can be held in the cheek) until it can be replaced.
If the tooth simply gets knocked out of position, see an orthodontist immediately. The sooner that it can be moved back in position, the better long-term prognosis it will have. When trauma occurs to the tooth, the nerve/vascular bundle is disturbed. It is also not uncommon for fractures of the surrounding alveolar bone to occur. As these areas heal, the cells of the tooth and bone can become confused, and ankylosis of the tooth can occur. This makes orthodontic correction impossible. If orthodontics is immediately initiated, the proper signals are sent to the brain that helps differentiates bone from the tooth, and ankylosis is not as likely to occur.
These valuable tips are not widely known, so spread the word and knowing the 411 may help you or a friend save a tooth!
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