Losing a tooth can be a traumatic experience for anyone, and that’s just as true for children as for anyone else. In some ways, the situation is even more complicated for them—depending on their age, they could have lost either a baby tooth or a permanent tooth.
Thankfully, if your child is in this situation, their dentist will be able to help. Here’s what you should do immediately after the tooth comes out, and how a professional may be able to help.
Immediately After Tooth Loss
The moment your child’s tooth falls out, they’re obviously going to be pretty distraught. As a parent, your first priority should be to calm them down, and to make sure they’re comfortable. Try to stop any bleeding and make sure there isn’t any serious damage.
You should then try and retrieve the tooth while taking care to avoid disturbing any root structure. If it is a permanent tooth, there’s a possibility that the dentist can put it in place. Once you have the tooth, submerge it in either milk or saltwater to preserve it until you can get to the dentist’s office.
What Can A Dentist Do?
When you take your child to a dentist, the treatment that they’ll recommend will be based on whether they lost a permanent tooth or not.
Baby Tooth
If a baby tooth has fallen out naturally, there really isn’t much of anything to worry about. As scary as it can be the first time it happens, it means that your child is growing as they should.
However, if a baby tooth was knocked out prematurely, your child’s dentist may decide to put a spacer in its place. This will hold the other teeth in position until the new tooth is ready to sprout.
Permanent Tooth
If a permanent tooth has fallen out, that’s where it becomes important to try to be able to put the old tooth back in position. If that doesn’t work, your dentist will start talking about tooth replacement options.
Dental implants are great, but they aren’t recommended until people reach adulthood. For that reason, your child may benefit from either dental bridges or partial dentures. Their dentist will be able to give advice specifically tailored to their needs.
About Our Practice
It’s common for people to spend most of their time in the dentist’s office waiting. At My Frederick Dentist, we do things differently—we make time for our patients, not the other way around. From the moment you step into our office until the moment that you leave, you’ll feel comfortable and attended to by our incredible dental staff. You’ll also be able to spend plenty of one-on-one time with your dentist, so you can get all the care that you need.
If you have any questions about lost teeth, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (301) 698-9552.