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Knocked out permanent teeth are considered a time-sensitive and technique-sensitive dental emergency. Things to consider when the trauma occurred:

  • Has your child lost consciousness? Are they nauseous and or vomiting? – If the child has the previous symptoms, the EMS must be contacted to rule out a concussion.
  • Is there any severe bleeding or injury to the lips, gums or tongue? In case of bleeding, please apply pressure to the affected area until further treatment can be provided.
  • Has the tooth been found? – It is important to try and retrieve the tooth; the tooth can be placed back only within the first 60 minutes. Once the tooth is retrieved, ideally have the child keep the tooth in his/her mouth, underneath the tongue and contact us immediately. Alternatively, the tooth may also be kept in a container with milk.

Once you have arrived to our office, we will examine the child for further injuries, and assess if the tooth can be placed back in the socket.

Whether the tooth has been knocked out or was just loosened, a splint will be applied to fix and prevent movement of the tooth in the healing period, which may last between 2 and 4 weeks. Chewing is permitted but hard foods should be avoided. Please return to our office if the splint becomes loose during the healing time.

Commonly, this type of injury may lead to the death of the nerves and vessels (pulp) of the tooth. The dead tooth will require root canal therapy. This can lead to discolouration of the crown of the tooth.

Loose Teeth

Advanced gum disease affects the surrounding structures of the tooth: the gums, the bone and the ligament that attaches these to each other.

In the earlier stages, plaque together with bacteria severely irritate the gums causing them to enlarge and hurt. If left untreated, the bacteria gradually infiltrates the ligaments and bone, destroying them; thus leaving the tooth loose and without support. Due to this, many teeth may require extraction. This can severely impact what and how you eat and your quality of life.
Please book an appointment and after a thorough examination, together with our dentists you may find the treatment option that suits you best.

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