What to do about a lost tooth
According to a recent study, most parents have no idea what to do if their child damages a tooth and often fail to take proper steps to respond to the injury. This can permanently affect their child’s oral health, says the study, published in the March/April 2008 issue of
General Dentistry.
Two kinds of traumatic tooth loss can occur during childhood: loss of a baby tooth prematurely, or loss of a permanent tooth. “With primary or ‘baby’ teeth, parents or caregivers often don’t believe that the loss of a primary tooth is especially important since a permanent tooth is supposed to come in and replace it anyway,” says AGD spokesperson, Tom A. Howley, Jr., DDS, MAGD. However, these first teeth are vital for maintaining the spacing for permanent teeth and helping to ensure they come in straight.
According to the study’s lead author, Lucianne Cople Maia, DDS, MSD, PhD, another mistake parents and caretakers make is to believe a tooth can always be replanted. In some cases, the tooth can be splinted back in; however, treatment still should be sought for a prematurely lost primary tooth. The area where a tooth has been lost “should be checked for bone fractures or other damage,” among other concerns, explains Dr. Howley.
When it comes to the loss of a permanent tooth, parents and caretakers often delay in seeking treatment and/or fail to store the lost tooth properly while seeking medical attention. “The chance for success is directly related to the amount of trauma and the length of time the tooth is outside of the oral cavity,” says AGD spokesperson Mark Donald, DMD, FAGD. “ The tooth should be placed in a moist solution, such as milk, while en route to the dentist.” Dr. Maia adds that the ideal time between tooth loss and replantation is a period no longer than 30 minutes.
Young children tend to lose permanent teeth prematurely the most, according to the study, due to the fact their tooth roots and gums are still developing. Parents need to be aware that as a child becomes active, the chances of trauma to teeth will increase, says Dr. Donald. “If and when trauma to the oral cavity occurs, the parent should get their child to the dentist as quickly as possible; and as the child begins playing sports, make sure the child wears a protective mouth guard as a safeguard to traumatic blows to the teeth,” he advises.
Parents can prepare for potential dental trauma by creating an emergency care kit that includes the dentist’s phone numbers (home and office), saline solution, a handkerchief, gauze, a small container with a lid, and ibuprofen. It is not advised to include aspirin, since it can cause excessive bleeding in an emergency.
Follow these tips if your child damages or knocks out a tooth:
- Remain calm and assess the injury.
- Control the bleeding.
- Determine if the injury involves more that just tooth loss and needs medical attention.
- Call and arrange for professional care by the child’s dentist.
- If the loss tooth is a permanent tooth, first make sure it’s clean by rinsing it off with milk, and replant it immediately. Hold it in place en route to receiving professional care. If it is impossible to replant the tooth, ask the dentist what medium to store the tooth in. The possibilities range from water, milk or the child’s saliva – your dentist will advise you on which option to use.