LIFESTYLE NEWS - Damage to teeth can be very traumatic to a person, especially in the case of children. 

Dental avulsion is when a tooth is completely displaced out of the socket due to trauma. While it may be possible to save a tooth that was knocked out, prevention is the best strategy.  

What to do: First confirm that it is an adult tooth (baby teeth cannot be re-implanted). Contact your dentist immediately. It is very important that the tooth must be re-implanted within the first 20-40 minutes. Only hold the tooth by the enamel of the crown. Do not touch the root.  

If the tooth is dirty, rinse for a short time in a bowl with tap water. Do Not scrub the root or detach tissue from it. If the tooth is clean, try and insert it into the socket. NEVER let the tooth dry out.  

If you can't replace the tooth, place it in some milk right away, or use the patient's own saliva, or a mild mix of water and salt (¼ teaspoon salt: 400ml water), or let the patient keep the tooth in his or her mouth. In the case of multiple teeth being knocked out, rather let the dentist re-implant them (for in case you insert them in the wrong sockets).  

After the tooth is placed in the socket, the dentist will splint it for a few weeks to adjacent teeth to secure it in place. A week to 10 days later the pulp should be removed and the root canal completed within two months. In most cases the tooth will discolour, but can be aesthetically repaired at a later stage.  

Although most dental trauma occurs during contact sport, a high percentage of children have their teeth knocked out during playtime at school. It is very important to protect your teeth if you partake in contact sport, and it is much cheaper to protect them (with a custom made mouth guard) than to replace them. 

Compiled by Dr Herman Venter, Walk in Dentist

This article is for informative purposes only.

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