· DO NOT touch the root of the tooth. Pick the tooth up by the part which is normally visible when the tooth is stuck in the gum.
· The tooth should be cleaned in saliva, saline or milk - NOT tap water. Don’t rub or scrub at the tooth; just give it a bit of a rinse.
· Place the tooth in a jar and keep it moist by covering it with saliva, saline (from your first aid kit) or milk. Again, NOT tap water.
· If you can get to a dentist within an hour, there is the best chance of the tooth being successfully reinserted. Even if it takes longer than an hour to get to a dentist, it’s still worth it. It’s amazing what can be done to save the tooth.
If it’s a baby tooth which is knocked out, obviously that won’t be reinserted into the mouth. But it’s still worth seeing a doctor if the tooth is actually forced out by some sort of an impact, if only to fill out an ACC form. Then if there are any issues further down the track, the paper trail has been started and you won’t be forking out the huge dental bills.
And of course it’s absolutely essential that you save a baby tooth for the tooth fairy…