Dental Emergency! Quick Steps to Save Your Tooth

 

Our teeth are important. They are not only used for chewing food, but they are also an important part of the structure of our face. Losing a tooth, especially a front tooth, is an unnerving and scary situation. When a person has a tooth knocked out, they may feel that there is nothing they can do to save it. Thankfully, this is not the case. Fast action, fast thinking, and a little bit of good fortune is all that is needed to save a tooth that is been knocked out.

 

Find Your Tooth

First, find the tooth that has been knocked out, and pick it up immediately. When grabbing the tooth, avoid touching the roots, as this can cause irreversible damage. Instead, pick up the tooth by only touching the crown.

 

Clean Your Tooth

Next, clean the tooth. This must be done in a very gentle but also thorough way. Dentists suggest using warm water to gently rinse to tooth. Avoid scrubbing the tooth as this can remove tissue attached to the roots that is necessary for reattaching it. In order to prevent the tooth from falling down the drain, place a rag or washcloth over the drain in the sink.

 

Replacing and Transporting Your Tooth

If possible, attempt to put the tooth back into the socket. Use a finger to hold it in place. If the tooth will not fit back into the socket, then it will need to be stored for transportation to the dentist. When storing the tooth, remember that it must be kept moist. If the roots dry out, the tooth will be lost. There are a couple ways to store the tooth for transport. One way is to transport it in your mouth between your cheeks and your gums. Another way is to transport it in a container that has either a tooth-saving solution or milk. It is not recommended to transport a tooth in water. The cells that make up the tooth will not survive long when submerged in water.

 

Contact a Dentist Immediately

Immediately contact a dentist. It is recommended that in dental emergencies a person should arrive at the dentist within 30 minutes. Anything after 30 minutes severely minimizes the chances of the tooth taking and remaining viable.

 

Most dentists have time set aside for emergencies. In addition to things like cleanings, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, and sedation dentistry, providing emergency dental care is an important part of what these dentists do. Do not to be afraid to contact them because the emergency took place outside of business hours. When it comes to repairing your tooth, time is of the essence. Do not delay!

 

Information Source: Abougoush Professional Corp

Categories: Dental Implant, Dentist, emergency dental, knocked out tooth, tooth replacement

Dental Implant Treatment Explained

If teeth are lost due to an accident, tooth decay or the ageing process, this can place more strain on the remaining teeth in the mouth and have a negative impact on one’s health. Even a single missing tooth can have an impact on the way you bite and chew your food, as well as having a detrimental effect on one’s appearance. In the past, the main dental treatments available for this problem were dental bridges and crowns. However, modern dentistry affords patients a more modern, cost effective and long lasting solution through dental implants.

What are dental implants?

An implant is used to replace missing teeth and will act as the root portion of your tooth. This means that implants needs to be combined with a crown or bridge for the process to be completed – but this does provide a sturdier, more reliable solution than just getting a crown or bridge alone. The aim of the treatment is to create a tooth replacement that has the appearance, feel and function of a natural one. The good news is that a dental implant can hold in place more than one crown or bridge.

How can I get the treatment?

You will first need to find a dentist who provides dental implant treatment. Once this is done, in order to assess if you are a suitable candidate, the dentist will carry out a series of examinations and X-rays, to ensure the treatment has a good chance of success. Issues such as gum disease, if identified during this stage, will need to be remedied before proceeding. If you are found to be suitable for treatment a more thorough clinical analysis will be carried out and the treatment can then begin.

What is the dental implant process?

The first phase of the treatment is where the dental implant is implanted into the patient’s jawbone under the gum. Local anaesthesia will be used to ensure the patient does not feel much pain during surgery. This process can take one to two hours, depending on the complexity of the case, and a temporary tooth will be provided to fill the tooth gap.

The second phase of treatment is biological integration, or osseointegration, in which the implant is left to integrate with the jawbone for a period of 8-12 weeks. There will be some initial discomfort during this time, but the healing process will proceed swiftly.

The third phase is where the implant is checked to make sure it has properly integrated with the jawbone. If this is the case, the dentist will take moulds of the patient’s mouth for the creation of the bridge or crown to be attached to the implant. Once this is done the tooth replacement can be cemented or screwed in place.

What else do I need to know?

The cost of dental implants can be significantly higher than alternative treatments, but the longevity and reliability of results makes it a worthwhile investment. You should not expect results over night, though, as the healing process alone can take around three months. For patients who are particularly worried about experiencing painful symptoms during the treatment process, many dentists now offer sedation.

The team at Ollie & Darsh in Liverpool have provided this guest post and continue to educate patients about the latest implant treatments.

Categories: Dental Implant, implant, treatment