Save That Knocked Out Tooth!

Save That Knocked Out Tooth!

If your child comes running to you with a bloody mouth and hole where a front tooth used to be, don’t panic. Take a deep breath. If your child lost a baby tooth, let it go. If your child lost a permanent tooth, that is a dental emergency. But teeth can often be re-implanted. You can increase your child’s chances of keeping the tooth by taking the following steps.

1. After ensuring that your child has no other serious injuries, do your best to find the tooth. If the tooth is whole, pick it up by the crown (the top part that you use to chew) instead of the root. This is very important—holding it by the root can damage the most fragile part of the tooth, which needs to be in good condition for the tooth to be implanted successfully.
2. Rinse the tooth gently in saline or milk. (Tap water can be used if these aren’t available, but the chlorine in the water can damage the tooth; use water only if you have no other option.) Rinse your child’s mouth with warm water.
3. If your child is old enough to keep the loose tooth in his mouth without swallowing it, reinsert the tooth into the socket, and have your child bite down gently on some gauze. If the tooth is broken or fragmented, or your child can’t keep it in his mouth for any reason, you can either place the tooth in a glass of milk or keep it inside your own mouth, between your lower gum and cheek. This will keep the tooth “alive” until you can come to our office.
4. Come directly to our office (or the emergency room if the accident occurs when we aren’t available). We will place the tooth back into the mouth, along with a “splint” that will hold it in place.

Sometimes, the body will reject the tooth and it can’t be able to be saved. But if you take these measures, you are giving your child the best chance to remember the accident as a funny story rather than as a permanent injury.

Give us a call at 509-891-7070 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared today!

Saliva: Nothing to Spit At

Saliva: Nothing to Spit At

Saliva plays an important role in maintaining oral health. The mouth has six major salivary glands, while your mouth and throat have hundreds of minor ones, all of which deliver saliva by way of salivary ducts. Every time you chew food or suck on candy, your body makes more saliva.

Composed mostly of water, saliva plays an important role in maintaining a healthy mouth and smile. It contains vital substances that help digest food and keep teeth strong. Although you probably don’t spend much time thinking about it, saliva

• helps you chew and swallow by moistening and breaking down food
• washes away particles of food from teeth and gums
• provides proteins and minerals to help prevent cavities and other infections
• delivers high levels of calcium, fluoride and phosphate to the surface of your teeth
• prevents bad breath

Because saliva does so much to keep your mouth healthy, a reduced saliva flow causes dry mouth; it can lead to cavities and other oral health problems. Diabetes, mouth-breathing, dehydration, cerebral palsy and chemotherapy, along with a wide range of medications—including medication for severe acne—can lead to dry mouth. Although dry mouth is much more common in older adults, children, too, may experience it.

Left untreated, dry mouth can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. If your child or teenager has too little saliva in his or her mouth, we might recommend drinking more water, chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free candy, all of which help to stimulate saliva production.

If your child complains of dry mouth, tell Dr. Jared so he can assess his or her condition. Addressing this problem early on can head off tooth decay and other oral health problems.

Click here to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jared. Or give us a call at (509)-891-7070.

Dec 2020 COVID-19 Update

Some of our patients may have seen recent news coverage indicating that non-urgent dental care in Washington will be suspended starting December 3. We want to inform you that these reports are incorrect. Non-urgent dental care in Washington is not being suspended.

Your safety is our foremost concern. We want to reassure you that we are following guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA), CDC, and Washington State Department of Health to keep our patients and team healthy and safe, and that these guidelines are working. To date, according to the CDC, there has been no documented transmission of COVID-19 in a clinical dental setting.

Oral health is integral to your overall health. We look forward to safely welcoming you to our office.

As before, if you have been exposed to or have symptoms of COVID-19, please call or text our office at 509-891-7070 to reschedule your appointment.