Keep Knocked Out Teeth In Milk

It may happen to anyone that they go through the unfortunate event of having a tooth knocked out. An unfortunate step, a messed up dancing accident, an icy sidewalk is enough to cause you to fall down or somehow knock yourself in the mouth, dislodging your tooth. So let’s stop with the stereotypes of only tough guys having missing teeth, it is completely possible to lose a tooth in the most pacifist ways imaginable.

What To Do With A Missing Tooth

If you see your tooth in front of you, the first step is to remember that most famous Douglas Adams quote: DON’T PANIC! After that, pick up your tooth and inspect it. Is all of the tooth there? Are all the parts on the ground, outside of your mouth? This is important, as a tooth can be reinserted, but only if the tissue is damaged and the tooth itself is intact. If, for instance, the tooth broke under the gumline, and the root is still in, then the tooth cannot be saved, and you need to book an emergency appointment to get the remains of the tooth extracted. But you should still save the pieces of the tooth, as it can provide useful information to the dentist.

If The Tooth Is Whole

Let’s say that through a minor miracle of God almighty your tooth has remained whole and none of its parts are missing or very seriously damaged, and you are able to retrieve your tooth. If this is the case, then you can do the following things. Put it in your pocket, or someplace safe. Go home. Yes now, even if its the wildest party of your life, trust me, your teeth are more important. Rinse the tooth off, but slightly, no scrubbing!! The reason is that there are cells on your teeth that are still living and will need to be alive for the reinsertion. Put the tooth in a glass of milk, preferably warm. Rinse out your mouth and leave the tooth in there for an hour or so. ONce it is well coated, take the tooth out and stick it back in the socket. Do not eat or put pressure on it for a few hours, just let it settle back down, this would be a good time to go to sleep, if you can, or just relax, watch TV, or do something that is not very active.

Why Milk

Milk has enzymes and proteins that help teeth heal, give them a comfortable environment to grow in, and also keeps the enzymes and cells on the teeth that are still alive active, so that is why milk is used to help teeth. We recommend using cow milk, as dairy free milk like soy or rice milk may not have the enzymes necessary to help your teeth. You do not need to drink the milk, so if you are lactose intolerant, or vegan, this can still be an acceptable option (we will let you be the judge of that).  

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