How to treat a broken or lost front tooth from trauma

  In my last post, I discussed how to prevent mouth and teeth injuries in sports. What happens if you experience trauma anyway? First, what happens if part of a front tooth should break off? Make sure the person is OK physically. Control any bleeding with pressure to the affected area. If you can find the tooth fragment, put it in water to keep it hydrated. Milk is a better option. A tooth fragment properly stored can even be reattached the next day with dental bonding. Next, what happens if the entire tooth should be lost. Time is critical here. Keep the tooth moist as mentioned above. Do not try to clean the tooth too aggressively. If you can put the tooth back in the socket, success rates are very good. If not let your dentist replant the tooth. Note the time of the trauma and tell your dentist. Often the tooth can be re-implanted with the potential for a good long term prognosis. A lost front tooth can mean a lifetime of dental problems. So being prepared, can save a lot of long term adverse consequences.