LOSING milk teeth is part and parcel with being a kid and it's no big deal if one falls out.
But if your kid knocks out an adult tooth, it could have permanent consequences.
If a tooth goes flying due to a tumble or during playtime, it's not immediately a lost cause – there is a possibility the body may accept it back as one of its own, dentists told Sun Health.
According to Nikki Jurcutz – the ex-paramedic behind the child and baby first aid page Tiny Hearts Education – all you need is glass of milk to rectify things.
If your child loses a permanent tooth, the first thing you need to do is pick it up.
But Nikki stressed that there's a specific way to do this, in a recent post to the Tiny Hearts page.
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You need to pick up the tooth by the crown and not the root.
The crown is the white bit that sticks out of the gum and can be seen when you smile.
It's super important that you don't touch the root of the tooth, which is hidden in the gum.
Dr Deepak Aulak founder of digital dentistry app Toothfairy told Sun Health this is because the root still might have active cells that will aid the reattaching.
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The NHS advised that at this stage, you should lick it clean if it's dirty or quickly rinse it under cold running water for no more than 10 seconds.
Avoid scrubbing at the tooth or using soap, Dr Aulak advised.
Then see if you can put your tooth back into the hole in the gum.
"Carefully reinsert the tooth into its socket, putting the root in first," Dr Aulak said.
If it goes in, have your kid bite down gently on a clean cloth or gauzeto hold the tooth in place.
Don't do this if the tooth still has dirt on it.
If you can't put the tooth back in the hole in the gum easily, you need to think about preserving the tooth until you can get to a dentist.
There are a few ways to do this.
According to Nikki, you can pop the tooth in:
- milk
- saline
The NHS also recommended preserving it in saliva – have your little one spit into a container and nestle the gnasher into it.
You can also have your child hold it in their cheek for a short time – but avoid doing so if they're young, as they might swallow it.
But you absolutely shouldn't store the tooth in water, as that could harm the cells, Dr Aulak said.
Once you have the tooth safe, it's time to get to a dentist ASAP.
"Reinsertion is most successful if done within the hour," Nikki said.
Dr Parneet Sehmi, principal dentist at Hermes London Dental Clinic, told Sun Health: "It is true that if a whole adult tooth has come out, then it can be stored in milk.
"You should then contact your dentist straight away for an emergency appointment to have the tooth re-inserted, as the sooner it is re-inserted, the higher the chances are that the tooth embeds itself back into the gum.”
But she said that in some cases, a dentist might not be able to embed the tooth back in the gum.
“If the tooth has broken, then it cannot be re-inserted, but it may be possible to glue the tooth back together with dental cement," Dr Semhi said.
But she stressed: “If your child knocks out a baby tooth, you should not attempt to re-insert it as you may cause damage to the adult tooth growing underneath. Instead, you should take your child to see a dentist immediately.”
Once you get to the dentist, they'll check your tooth is in the right place if you managed to put it back in and they'll move it around if they need to, according to NHS guidance.
If you brought your tot's tooth in milk or saliva, they'll clean it and put it back in.
They'll then fix the tooth to the teeth either side of it to hold it in place – this process is called splinting.
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You'll probably need to go back after a couple of weeks so the dentist can remove the splint in your child's mouth.
If you can't find your little one's tooth – or the dental professional can't save it – it can normally be replaced with a false tooth.
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