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We hope you never have a serious tooth injury—having a tooth broken, knocked out of alignment, or even knocked out completely. But sometimes the unexpected happens.

If your tooth is knocked out, in some cases you can still save the tooth, if you act quickly. The important thing is to keep the cells alive so it’s more likely to re-attach to your socket.

This means:

  • Never touch the root of the tooth—pick it up by the crown (the part that’s normally exposed in your mouth)
  • If the tooth must be rinsed or stored, use saline solution or milk—never water, because water kills the cells.
  • Don’t let it dry out! Store it in milk, saline solution, or even in the side of your cheek and get to a dentist right away!

Here’s a helpful PDF from the American Association of Orthodontists that explains in more detail how to rescue a tooth—whether knocked out, knocked out of place, or broken.

Chances are if you have a tooth injury, you will probably also have damage to your braces or other appliances. Get to a dentist first to save the tooth, then call Dr. Appel as soon as you can!

Of course, it’s far better if you never end up in this situation. Obviously some accidents can’t be avoided, but you can protect your teeth during high-intensity activities such as sports by using a mouth guard. A mouth guard helps absorb the shock of an impact and can keep your teeth and orthodontic appliances in place.

If you don’t have a mouth guard, let someone at the Appel Ortho front desk know, and we’ll give you one for free. We want to help you protect that beautiful smile!

 

Photo Credit: liviana1992 via Compfight cc

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