What to do if you lose a tooth

Losing a tooth can feel scary – especially if it’s in a noticeable location, like the front of your mouth. Luckily, there are steps you can take to try and save the tooth if it’s something that’s happened as a result of an accident or injury. We will talk more about today, in a blog brought to you by our Loughborough team.

So, what should I do?

If an adult tooth has been knocked out because of a dental emergency, we recommend popping it into a glass of milk and getting in touch with our Loughborough dental practice as soon as you can. Sometimes, a lost tooth can be reinserted into the mouth – but the timeframe for doing this successfully is small. If you don’t have a glass of milk, try to keep it inside your cheek (do take care while doing this). If it’s possible to put it back into its socket, bite down on a clean tissue to hold it in place.

What about if it’s a milk tooth?

This is a bit more complicated, because children may not be able to hold it in their mouths (it could pose a choking risk) and trying to reinsert it could affect the adult teeth underneath. In this case, put it into milk or a container with your child’s saliva (spit) in it.

What happens in my appointment?

Provided we’re able to see you in good time, we’ll do our utmost to reattach the tooth. We do this by “splinting” the tooth. This is where we fix the lost tooth to the teeth on either side. In a few weeks, once everything has healed up, we’ll remove the splint.

How long will my tooth last?

It’s hard to say. Some cases are very successful, while others aren’t. It depends on the nature of the injury and how quickly treatment was delivered.

What if my tooth can’t be saved?

In this instance, we’d offer an alternative solution, such as a dental implant or bridge. A dental implant is a permanent false tooth that’s surgically implanted into the jawbone and gum. It’s minimally invasive, has a high success rate and is virtually indistinguishable from a natural tooth. Of course, treatment isn’t suited to everyone and is not recommended for children (who have lost an adult tooth).

How much does emergency treatment cost?

Visit our pricing page to find out more about dental costs. Rest assured that we pride ourselves fairly here in Loughborough and will do our utmost to give you the best possible outcome and results – whether it’s a routine treatment or an emergency one.

What’s my next step?

If you have a dental emergency, contact our Loughborough team immediately. We’ll arrange for an appointment as quickly as possible to help put things right.