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What To Do If You Lose A Permanent Tooth

19 August 2015 by Christy Long

If you've lost a permanent tooth, it's important to get dental help as soon as possible. Call your dentist's office immediately, even if it's after the office's normal operating hours. The office's answering machine may have instructions on what to do during after-hours emergencies, and the longer you wait to see a dentist, the less likely it is that he or she will be able to save your tooth.

In the best-case scenario, your dentist will be able to re-implant the tooth you lost. If you leave the socket open, you could end up with a serious infection that could affect your physical health as a whole, not just your mouth. Follow these steps if you've lost a permanent tooth to give your dentist the best chance at saving it.

1. Pick your tooth up by the crown only -- the part that normally sticks up out of your jaw. Don't touch the root part.
2. If your tooth is dirty, rinse it off with milk, saliva or a saline solution. Even if it seems very dirty, don't scrub it with your finger or a toothbrush. You could damage the parts of the tooth root that help hold it in the socket.
3. Try to position the tooth back in the socket and bite down gently on a piece of gauze to hold it in place. You can also carry the tooth between your cheek and gum or under your tongue on the way to the dentist.
4. Place your tooth in a container covered with milk or saliva if you can't hold it in your mouth. If you have a tooth-saver kit from your dentist's office or pharmacy, placing your tooth in the solution from the kit is even better.

What Happens After Re-Implantation

If you were able to get to your dentist right away and your tooth was re-implanted, you'll still need to follow up with your dentist. You'll probably need antibiotics as a precautionary measure, because dentists can't completely sterilize teeth before implanting them.

Younger people usually have a better prognosis after having a permanent tooth re-implanted. The older the tooth, the less likely it is the pulp will survive. Even if the pulp dies, you may still be able to keep your natural tooth after it's been re-implanted, but your dentist will probably suggest a root canal.

What If You Don't Have the Tooth or Re-Implantation Fails?

If you weren't able to find your tooth (or you swallowed it), or if you were not able to get to a dentist in time to have it re-implanted, you'll still need to make a dentist appointment as soon as possible. Your dentist will check the socket and go over your options to fill in the space with a dental implant or partial denture so your neighboring teeth don't crowd into the open space and affect your bite.

Speak with a dentist such as Milan Simanek DDS for more details.

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