With the footy season fast approaching it’s time to think about a mouthguard.
But what do you do in the unfortunate event of a dental injury… it’s important to get this checked out with your dentist ASAP. The treatment that is required depends on if the tooth is an adult tooth or a baby tooth!
If a baby tooth is knocked out we don’t recommend replacing it, however if an adult tooth is knocked out the sooner you can replant it the better the long term prognosis for this tooth.
What to do if an adult tooth is knocked out:
1) Find the tooth. Hold the tooth by the crown (the white part), not by the root (the yellow part).
2) Replant immediately, if possible.
3) If contaminated, rinse shortly with cold tap water and put the tooth back in its place. This can be done by the child or an adult.
4) Hold the tooth in place. Bite on a handkerchief to hold it in position and go to the dentist immediately.
5) If you can not put the tooth back in, place it in a cup of milk or saline. When milk or saline are not available, place the tooth in the child’s mouth (between the cheeks and gums)
6) Seek immediately specialized dental treatment
If a tooth is chipped it may be extremely sensitive. If you can find the fragment which broke away it may be able to be rebonded to the tooth or we may have to rebuild the tooth in a resin material.
For management of other dental injuries please check out this great app from the International Association of Dental Traumatology.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/toothsos/id1368359249?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iadtapp.toothsos&hl=en_US
However why not prevent these injuries in the first place with a custom fit mouthguard. Whilst these may seem expensive initially, they are far cheaper than the cost of treating most dental traumas and far less painful. Making a custom mouthguard is simple and quick so get in before the footy season starts and make a new mouthguard.
