Tooth Loss - Healthy Trust First Aid

If your tooth is knocked out, get emergency dental care. It's sometimes possible to successfully reimplant permanent teeth that have been knocked out. But this is an option only if you follow the steps below immediately ý before you see a dentist.

If your tooth is knocked out:

• Handle your tooth by the top only, not the roots.
• Don't rub it or scrape it to remove debris. This damages the root surface, making the tooth less likely to survive.
• Gently rinse your tooth in a bowl of tap water. Don't hold it under running water.
• Try to replace your tooth in the socket. If it doesn't go all the way into place, bite down gently on gauze or a moistened tea bag to help keep it in place. Hold the tooth in place until you see your dentist.
• If you can't replace your tooth in the socket, immediately place it in whole milk, your own saliva or a warm, mild saltwater solution ý 1/4 teaspoon salt to 1 quart water (1.2 milliliters salt to about 1 liter water).
• Get medical attention from a dentist or emergency room immediately.

If you participate in contact sports, you can often prevent tooth loss by wearing a mouth guard, fitted by your dentist.

Healthy Trust Immediate Medical Care serves the Chicago North Shore Communities of Lake County, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Lincolnshire, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove, Northbrook, Highland Park, Long Grove, Riverwoods, Des Plaines, Palatine, Glenview, Highwood, Northfield, Libertyville, Winnetka, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Mundelein, and Bannockburn.