Three Tips If You Have Lost a Tooth

Losing a tooth can be distressing, but try not to panic. If you’ve been injured in an accident or you’ve lost a tooth while playing sport, it may be possible to save the tooth. Here are 3 tips that may come in handy:

1. Locate the tooth: if you’ve lost a tooth, try and find it. If you can find it, hold it by the crown and avoid touching the roots.
2. Call your dentist: if you’ve lost a tooth, but you’ve still got it to hand, call your dentist as soon as possible and they will try and insert the tooth back into its socket. If you can get to us quickly enough, we should stand a good chance of saving the tooth.
3. Re-implant the tooth: if you’re not close by or you fancy your chances as an amateur dentist, you can try and re-implant the tooth yourself. Gently clean it and then holding the tooth by the crown, push it gently back into the socket. If you can’t bring yourself to try, come and see us and we’ll do our best. While you’re on your way, keep the tooth in a glass of milk or lukewarm water or hold it carefully in the mouth between the cheeks and the gums (this is not suitable advice for children, as it carries a risk of choking.)

If you lose a tooth, try not to panic! We are here to help and we offer emergency appointments. We can also talk you through trying to place the tooth back in the socket yourself. If it’s not possible to save the tooth, we can go through some effective tooth replacement options with you. Prevention is always better than cure, so try and reduce the risk of dental injuries by wearing a mouth guard when you play sport and ensuring you have a seatbelt on in the car.