It can be difficult to think clearly in the moments following one of your teeth being knocked out. However, acting swiftly and correctly can make the difference between saving and losing the tooth for good, so it’s important that you’ve got a clear understanding of how to act if it happens to you. We’ll take you through the steps you need to take in the immediate aftermath of having a tooth knocked out, so you can put yourself in the best position to save your displaced tooth. Find the tooth First things first: find the tooth. Obviously, you can’t replant the tooth without finding it, so in situations where the tooth has been lost, a denture, implant or bridge will be used as a replacement. It’s also important that the tooth doesn’t get …
Tooth Extraction & What to Do After
An extraction means to have a tooth removed, usually because of disease, trauma or crowding. If you need an extraction, our dentist will first numb the area to lessen any discomfort. After the extraction, your dentist will advise you of what post extraction regimen to follow. In most cases a small amount of bleeding is normal. Your mouth will slowly fill in the bone where the tooth root was through the formation of a blood clot. Here are some tips to follow to make recovery easier: Avoid anything that might prevent normal healing. Don’t smoke or rinse your mouth vigorously. Avoid drinking through a straw for 24 hours. Follow the diet your dentist suggests. For the first few days, if you must rinse, rinse your mouth …
Dry Socket
You probably think having a tooth pulled is not a particularly enjoyable experience. And you no doubt expect to have some discomfort afterward. But that's OK, you say. You can endure it when you need to. But if the pain becomes intense and perhaps even worsen after a few days, it may be a symptom of a condition called dry socket, or alveolar osteitis. Only a very small percentage -- about 2% to 5% of people -- develop dry socket after a tooth extraction. In those who have it, though, dry socket can be uncomfortable. Fortunately, it's easily treatable. The socket is the hole in the bone where the tooth has been removed. After a tooth is pulled, a blood clot forms in the socket to protect the bone and nerves underneath. Sometimes that …