According to the National Youth Sports Foundation (NYSF), most people have a 45 percent chance of suffering a dental injury in their lifetime. In Australia, where sport is a way of life and spending a lot of time outdoors is normal, knocked out teeth is a common dental injury. For aesthetic reasons, it is important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible. A missing tooth can ruin a nice smile!
However, it's not all just about your appearance. Given time, a gap in your smile can cause your teeth to become overcrowded leading to a misaligned bite, crooked teeth, and difficulty brushing and flossing.
It is important then to replace knocked out teeth as quickly as possible. If you have recently lost a tooth to an injury, you'll be pleased to know that you can replace that tooth within 24 hours.
Your Dentist Can Re-implant the Avulsed Tooth
Provided you followed proper protocol after losing the tooth, your dentist will be able to re-implant the avulsed (knocked out) tooth. After losing a tooth, pick the tooth up by its crown, never the root as you could damage the fragile periodontal ligaments that hold the tooth in place.
Place the tooth in milk or water and get to a dentist as quickly as possible. You can also reinsert the tooth yourself but you will still need to see a dentist immediately to check that the tooth is okay.
You Can Opt for an Immediate Partial Denture
If you knock out a tooth early in the day and book an immediate dental appointment, a dentist can prepare a partial denture for you to wear that day. These are known as immediate dentures and are more expensive than conventional dentures due to the follow-up work that might be needed to ensure they fit.
However, if your work requires that all your teeth be intact for example, a modelling job, then immediate dentures can solve this problem.
Be prepared for several more visits to your dentist, as they may need to make adjustments to ensure your partial denture is a comfortable fit.
It is Possible to Get a Same Day Dental Implant
The most advanced tooth replacement procedure you can undergo is that of replacing a tooth with a dental implant. During this procedure, your dentist inserts a titanium screw into your jawbone followed by a temporary crown. As long as you have enough bone to support the implant and your health is in good condition, you can have an implant and crown placed the same day.
A missing tooth in the smile zone can make for an unappealing smile. If your occupation requires that you deal with people regularly, talk to your dentist about your tooth replacement options. By tomorrow morning, your clients or customers won't be able to tell the difference.
Contact dentists that offer denture repairs for more information and assistance.
