Dealing with Damaged Teeth

What to do if an adult tooth is broken or knocked out?

Don’t Panic but act quickly – contact St.James Dental for advice

By the age of fourteen, one child in four will have broken, or knocked out a front tooth! Children can damage their teeth in many different ways through accidents in and around the home, although the main cause of damage is playing contact sport.

Injuries to teeth can alter appearance, spoil a smile, resulting in low self-esteem and require many trips to the dentist. A properly fitting custom made mouthguard will help to protect teeth in contact sports such as hockey, rugby, judo, football and cricket – when tooth damage can so easily result.

However, we would urge you not to let your children use shop-bought mouthguards. Quite simply they do not protect your teeth nor do they prevent concussion in the same way as a custom made mouthguard.

If a permanent tooth is knocked out or badly damaged in an accident, it is possible to replace or repair it. Simply follow the guidelines outlined below.

If an adult tooth is knocked out…

1. Find the tooth. Hold the tooth by the crown (the part usually visible in the mouth) not by the root (the part of the tooth inside the gum). Do not scrub the tooth or place it in bleach or disinfectant.
2. If the tooth is clean. Hold it by the crown and gently push it back into its socket making sure that it is the right way round. This is usually painless if done immediately after the accident.
3. If the tooth is dirty. Rinse it in milk or cold water before gently pushing it back into place.
4. Hold the tooth in place. Bite gently on a handkerchief and immediately contact St.James Dental for further advice.

If you cannot put the tooth back in…

1. Take your time and gather up all the pieces of tooth you can find, no matter how small.
2. Take all the pieces to your dentist as soon as you can, as it is sometimes possible for your dentist to “stick” all the pieces back together again just like a jigsaw.
3. If you are away from home, then take the pieces to the nearest casualty department and ask to be seen by the dentist on duty.

Have you considered the advantages of a custom made Playsafe mouthguard?

For more information on Mouthguards… Please contact our patient coordinator Jaime on 01452 727 665 or by email: [email protected].

Working in partnership with Playsafe. Take the first step to protect your teeth…