I’ve had some serious gum disease. My teeth have been coming loose. Today, though I got hit in the mouth and one of them came out. What do I do?

Alan H. – Iowa

Alan,

Generally, when a tooth gets knocked out there is a good chance it can be saved if you get to the dentist’s office within 30 minutes.  If you can’t reach your dentist, call an emergency dentist, because this has to be handled very quickly.  You’ll want to be sure you hold the tooth from the crown and not the root. You’ll also want to keep it moist. You can either wrap it in a wet paper towel or place it in a glass of milk.

However, your gum disease is an additional problem, especially if your teeth are still coming loose. Even if your tooth is restored, it will just fall out again.

Either way, I would get to your dentist and see what he thinks. The priority may be to deal with your gum disease. You don’t want to loose more teeth.

This blog is brought to you by Auburn, AL Dentist Dr. Raymond Bolt.