Do this first
- If the whole tooth has come out, hold it by the crown, not by the root.
- Do not scrub or wash the root; if it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline.
- Keep it in milk or in your own saliva until you get here — never in water and never dry.
- If only part of the crown has broken off, keep the piece and bring it with you.
- Call us straight away and say it is an injury. That kind of appointment does not wait.
What we do
We assess whether only the tooth is injured or the bone and soft tissue as well, and whether the nerve is involved. The answer ranges from a filling and a build-up, through a crown, to extraction and replacement when the tooth cannot be saved. For a tooth that has come out entirely there is also the possibility of putting it back, which depends on the time elapsed and on how the tooth was kept.
Afterwards
An injured tooth is followed with check-ups and X-rays, because changes in the nerve and the root can appear weeks later. Those check-ups are not a formality.
