If you happen to lose a tooth as an adult, there are a few ways that you can act upon this without causing too much additional damage. Continue reading this blog post to discover the following steps to take after losing your tooth.
First Step: Locate the Tooth
Once you locate your lost tooth, be sure to pick it up by the crown and not the root. If you do happen to touch the root, you can cause additional damage to the soft tissue. To avoid causing any problems, handle the tooth with extra caution and care until you’re able to get a professional to assist.
Second Step: Stop the Bleeding
It’s extremely common that your empty socket may begin to bleed upon losing your tooth. To stop the bleeding, place a dry, clean cotton ball on the wound to absorb the blood and stop the bleeding. From there, you will want to apply cautious pressure to get the bleeding to stop eventually. If you need to rinse additional blood out of your mouth, be sure to do so with clean water. Swallowing the blood can cause vomiting or reopen the bleeding socket.
Third Step: Clean the Tooth & Replace into Socket
Rinse off your lost tooth to remove any dirt. Placing an uncleaned tooth back into your socket can cause bacteria or an infection. Using a saline solution or milk can help kill the germs and prevent disease. Putting the tooth back into the socket can protect the root and vital tissues. Your saliva will additionally preserve the tooth. Hold it in place with medical gauze or a clean washcloth, and gently bite down on the gauze. The pressure can keep the tooth stable until you can get to a dentist.
Contact Us
If you have lost a tooth, contact the professionals at Newton Dental Associates today. We will work quickly and diligently to restore your tooth to our best abilities. If you need to contact us immediately, please call (617) 965 – 0060. You can also send an email to nda@newtondentalassociates.com for more information or follow-up questions.
