DENTAL HEALTH...DEALING WITH AN AVULSED TOOTH

DENTAL HEALTH…DEALING WITH AN AVULSED TOOTH

May 07, 2017 News

By Dr. Neromini Fagu
Injuries to the teeth and mouth often occur as a result of a fall, motor vehicle accident, sports or fights. A large percentage of children usually have some type of injury to a tooth during childhood.
It is hard to predict what accidents our children may have, but when an accident affects their teeth knowing what to do might make a difference. The most common teeth to get knocked out are the incisors, and dentists refer to a knocked out tooth as being “avulsed”.
According to the American Association of Endodontists, more than five million teeth are knocked out every year in children and adults. While it can be very traumatic to lose one’s tooth, knowing what to do when that occurs is important to possibly saving the tooth. With the correct action, a tooth that has been knocked out of its socket may be successfully replanted and last for years.
An avulsed tooth should be replanted in the socket as soon as possible. The long-term success depends mainly on how long the tooth has been out of the socket, and the best chance of success is if the tooth has not been out of the socket for more than 20 minutes. The following are the steps that should be taken in the event of a knocked-out permanent or adult tooth. Baby teeth are not usually replanted due to the risk of infecting the permanent tooth below.
Handle the tooth carefully
You need to locate the tooth immediately, and it should be picked up by the crown (the chewing surface) and NOT by the root. This should help to minimize injury to the remaining tissues on the root surface.
Gently clean the tooth
If the tooth is dirty, you should try to remove the debris by gently rinsing the tooth with saline solution or water but for no longer than 10 seconds. You should not use soap or chemicals to clean or scrub the tooth. You should not attempt to dry the tooth or wrap it in a tissue or cloth.
Repositioning the tooth
If it is possible, after ensuring the tooth is clean, you should try to reposition the tooth in the socket immediately. The sooner the tooth is replanted, the greater the likelihood of it surviving. When reinserting the tooth, gently push it into the socket with your fingers. You would need to visit your dentist as soon as possible as the replanted tooth would need to be stabilized by splinting.
In the event that the tooth cannot be reinserted into the socket at the place of the accident, it must be kept moist at all times until you are able to go to the dentist. However, keep in mind that time is of the essence and the longer the tooth stays outside the mouth the less likely is the chance of it being saved. There are a number of media in which the tooth can be stored for transportation to the dentist. One of the best tooth-preservation media is a biological medium called Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution. Another storage medium is physiological saline.
If neither of these is available, then milk can be used.
It has also been suggested that the tooth can be kept in the mouth but this may not be the best course of action as there is a possibility, especially in children, that the tooth may be swallowed. Also, the saliva in the mouth increases the chances for infection of the remaining periodontal tissues that are attached to the root surface.
While generally not recommended, tap or bottled water may be used if nothing else is available.
A tooth that is knocked out is a dental emergency that requires prompt treatment. The tooth should be placed back into the tooth socket as soon as possible, ideally within 15 minutes and up to one hour (or longer if properly stored). At least 85 percent of teeth that are put back in the tooth socket within five minutes survive, compared to very few surviving that are stored dry and replanted after one hour.

For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News