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A front tooth has been fractured or knocked out
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It is not uncommon for a front tooth to be accidentally fractured or occasionally knocked out completely by a fall, injury or accident. There will often be damage to the lips as well, seen as swelling and bleeding.
Any loose pieces of tooth should be recovered and kept if possible. It doesn’t always hurt much to begin with but the patient may be in a state of shock.
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Reassure the patient, check carefully for other injuries. |
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If there has been any loss of consciousness, difficulty in breathing, vomiting, bleeding from the ears, eyes or nose, or any other suspected medical complications; the patient should be taken immediately to the nearest Accident & Emergency Unit. |
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If there are no other medical complications, bring the patient in for urgent professional dental care, bringing any recovered pieces of tooth with you. |
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If a whole tooth has been knocked out, it may be possible to re-implant it, but it must be kept warm and moist preferably in saliva or warm milk. The best place to keep it is back in the patient’s own mouth in the gap between the cheek and lower lip, in the case of a small child the parent’s mouth will do. If the tooth is dirty never scrub it, but rinsing it briefly under cold water is OK before transporting it in the mouth on the way to the dental surgery. |
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