Apparently, I was an Orc. I didn’t realize that until a young Lord Aragorn came at me with his sword. I happened to turn just as the sword arced and hit me straight in the mouth. I thought it was fine, but last night it started feeling loose. I thought I was just imagining it but this morning I can definitely wiggle it. I think this may be considered a dental emergency. Is there anything that can be done or am I doomed to lose the tooth?
Maureen L.
Dear Maureen,
The first thing you’ll want to do is stop wiggling it. That’s making it more likely to come out. Part of the protection for our teeth are ligaments attached to them. These ligaments can stretch and become loose, but mess with them enough and they can completely snap, leaving your tooth with less protection.
Your first order of business is to see your dentist. You’re right that it is a dental emergency and be certain to let them know when you call. If your dentist doesn’t leave room for dental emergencies, go ahead and call an emergency dentist.
The dentist needs to stabilize the tooth. There are several methods in which this can be accomplished including bonding it to its adjacent teeth or using a splint.
What Can Trauma to Do to a Tooth?
Hopefully, just splinting the tooth will give it time to heal. But, there is a chance the pulp has been damaged. If that’s the case, you’ll need a root canal treatment. Most root canal treatments end up needing a dental crown to protect the tooth which becomes brittle after a root canal treatment.
If for some reason your tooth falls out before it can be healed, there is still hope. First, only pick it up by the crown. Never touch the root, not even to clean it. You’ll want to keep it moist though. If you have access to milk, carefully place it in a glass of milk. Ideally, you’ll want to get the dentist within thirty minutes.
Make sure you call them and let them know to expect you and why so they can get to you immediately and have everything prepared. The faster the tooth is re-implanted, the better chance you have of saving the tooth.
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