First Steps Matter When You Lose a Tooth

Even if you don’t play contact sports, accidents happen and everyone is susceptible to tooth loss. While a tooth can’t always be saved when it falls out, in many cases, our team can save it if you take a few precautions and get to the dentist as quickly as possible.

At the Center for Implant and Esthetic Dentistry, our prosthodontist Dr. Mahallati and our dental team offer cosmetic and restorative dentistry services at our state of the art and environmentally friendly office in Beverly Hills, California.

First steps when you lose a tooth

Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to save a tooth after it falls out if you get to the dentist right away and take a few precautions to safeguard the tooth until you get there. The American Association of Endodontists recommends seeing a dentist within 30 minutes of the accident or injury if possible to increase the chances of successfully replanting the tooth. 

Keep the tooth clean

If possible, recover the tooth and take it with you to our office. Pick it up by the crown and make sure not to touch the roots. Rinse it using warm filtered water and do not scrub or rub it. 

Keep the tooth moist and protected

If you can, try to carefully reinsert the tooth in the socket until you get to our office (don’t panic if you can’t). If you can’t insert the tooth, try keeping it in your mouth if you can do so comfortably. Otherwise, you can store it in milk to keep it from drying out or use a Save a Tooth kit you can get at your local pharmacy. Avoid wrapping it in a tissue or cloth.

Keep in mind that your best chance of saving the tooth is getting to our office as soon as possible. 

Act quickly

Accidents and sports injuries happen when you least expect them, but acting quickly can save your tooth. Arriving at our office in under an hour is ideal, but it’s still possible to save the tooth if it takes you a bit longer. The most important thing you can do is to keep the tooth clean and moist (for serious accidents or trauma with heavy bleeding and other symptoms, seek emergency treatment right away). 

If it turns out that the tooth can’t be saved, there are still many options available to replace the missing tooth and improve your smile and oral health, such as crowns and bridges, or dental implants.

Losing a tooth doesn’t have to ruin your smile and oral health. For more information about dental restorations and protecting yourself from tooth loss, contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mahallati at our office in Beverly Hills.