In the event of dental trauma from falls, sports, accidents, or biting on hard food, teeth can often break or even fall out. If this occurs, it is crucial to get to a dentist as soon as possible – within an hour is the best timeframe for the tooth’s survival. If Oatlands Dental isn’t open, we advise that you visit a hospital emergency department as quickly as possible.

 If a tooth breaks, try locating the broken piece and bringing it to our clinic, as we can often bond it back to the tooth. If a tooth appears to be knocked but not broken, looks longer, shorter or tilted, please visit us as soon as possible as there may be damage to the tooth root or the surrounding bone.

If a tooth is knocked out, never touch the tooth’s root. Instead, handle the tooth by the crown (top of the tooth). Following this, determine whether it is a baby or adult tooth and call our clinic to notify us that you’re on your way. If the tooth is dirty, briefly wash it with milk, saline or cold running water for no longer than 10 seconds. If you have determined that it is an adult tooth, try to put the tooth back into its gap and advise the injured person to bite on a handkerchief or gauze to hold the tooth in place.

If you’re unsure if the tooth is a baby or adult tooth, or the tooth can’t be placed back in its gap, it can be transported to our clinic in several ways. These include a glass of milk, a glass of the injured person’s saliva, held inside the cheek and gum of the injured person’s mouth, or a dedicated storage medium for knocked-out teeth. Do not store the tooth in water.

Please be aware that there is a significant chance that the tooth’s nerve could be damaged, resulting in a need for root canal therapy.