my name is Caitlin. im doing a project for school. what do you when a tooth gets busted out?
thx, Caitlin
Hi Caitlin,
Thanks for writing. I’m glad you’re getting to write a school report on dentistry! When you’re talking about trying to save a tooth time is one of the most important factors. The faster you get to your dentist for treatment (hopefully within thirty minutes), the better chance you have of saving the tooth. If you can’t reach your dentist, or he can’t see you right away, then I recommend you get to an emergency dentist as soon as possible.
There are two parts of the tooth of which you need to be aware: the root and the crown. You can think of the crown as the part people normally see. The root is the part that goes under your gums. You will need to clean the tooth. You don’t want to scrub it, because that can damage some cells that are necessary for re-attachment. Instead, just gently rinse the tooth off.
The next most important thing for you to know is your tooth needs to be kept moist. There are two ways to do this. The first is the put the tooth in your mouth, keeping it moist with your saliva. The second is to place the tooth in a glass of milk.
I hope this helps you. Let me know if you need more information.
This blog is brought to you by Libertyville Dentist Dr. David Potts.