True orthodontic emergencies are very rare, but when they do occur we are available to you. As a general rule, you should call the office when you experience severe pain or when you have a painful appliance problem that you can’t take care of yourself. We’ll be able to schedule an appointment to resolve the problem.
You might be surprised to learn that you may be able to temporarily solve many problems yourself until you schedule an appointment with our office. When working with your appliances, you need to know the names of the parts of your appliances so you are able to identify what part is broken or out of place. After alleviating your discomfort, it is very important that you still call our office as soon as possible to schedule a time to repair the problem. Allowing your appliance to remain damaged for an extended period of time may result in disruptions in your treatment plan.
Steps To Follow If a Permanent Tooth is Knocked out:
- Keep Calm
- Find the tooth and pick it up by the crown – the white part- and avoid touching the root
- If the tooth is dirty, wash it briefly (10 seconds) under cold running water and then reposition the tooth in the socket. Have the patient bite on a handkerchief or napkin to hold it in position. If the tooth is not dirty, replant the tooth immediately into the socket.
- If it is not possible to reposition the tooth, place the tooth in a suitable storage medium, ex: glass of milk. The tooth can be transported in the mouth by keeping it between the teeth and the inside of the cheek. Avoid storing the tooth in water.
- Call your dentist for treatment immediately.
