Lost Tooth? Don't Put It Back Into Place In These Situations

When you lose a tooth playing sports or in some other type of accident, many dentists will recommend that you push the tooth back into place and then seek an emergency dental service to assess the issue and, hopefully, save your tooth. Putting the tooth back in its socket can go a long way toward saving the tooth, but there are times that this may not be possible. For example, if the tooth has broken off rather than popped out, you won't be able to push the broken piece back into place. There are also some other scenarios in which you shouldn't keep the tooth in place while you seek emergency dental care.

The Tooth Won't Stay In

Even if the tooth has seemingly popped out cleanly, there can be certain times that it won't stay in place. Every tooth and every socket has a unique shape, and if you're having trouble keeping the tooth in place, you should stop trying. The last thing that you want is for the tooth to easily slide into your mouth and you swallow it. If you've made a few attempts to get the tooth to remain in its socket and aren't having any luck, you should abandon this effort and get to an emergency dentist as quickly as possible.

The Feeling Makes You Queasy

When you put a tooth back into its open socket, you'll either find that the tooth has a firm fit or that it feels loose. For some people, the latter scenario can lead to feelings of queasiness. This may be the case for you if you used to get queasy about loose teeth when you were younger, for example. It's a good idea to remove the tooth in this situation. If you were to keep it in place and continue to feel queasy, you could involuntarily heave—at which point the tooth could come out and either you could swallow it or it could fall onto the floor.

You Need To Talk A Lot

When you get a lost tooth back into its socket, it's ideal if you can keep your mouth closed to hold the tooth in place as you travel to an emergency dentist. This won't always be possible for everyone, however. For example, if you've suffered this dental emergency and you have your children with you, you'll likely find yourself talking to them—perhaps to help them deal with any concerns that they have about you. Talking with a loose tooth is an easy way to accidentally swallow it, so you're better off keeping the tooth in a container as you travel to seek dental care.


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