Have You Lost a Front Tooth? Learn What to Do and What Your Options Are

Losing a front tooth can be painful, embarrassing, and overwhelming. The good news is that you do have front tooth replacement options. At California Dental Group we can assess your individual need and recommend the right way to proceed. Let’s begin with what you should do immediately following the loss of your front tooth.

Front tooth 9-1-1: What to do if you knock out your front tooth

If you or someone else has a dental trauma that leads to a knocked out tooth, there are some specific steps you should follow to ensure you have the best chance for saving the tooth:

• Remain calm. This can be challenging but fear can actually increase blood flow.
• Find the tooth, pick it up by the top, and don’t touch the root. If the root has already gotten dirty, wash it with water.
• Try to put the tooth back where it was in the mouth. Hold it in place by biting down on a cloth of some kind.
• If you can’t get it back where it came from, keep it in the mouth between your cheek and molar teeth – unless there’s a risk of swallowing. Don’t store the tooth in water.
• Get immediate dental treatment.
• If you have uncontrolled bleeding, are dizzy, faint, confused, or have other symptoms consistent with a concussion, then emergency medical treatment is necessary.

Options to replace a front tooth

There are many reasons most people are more concerned with losing a front tooth than with losing other teeth but the most important is simple: They are the most visible teeth. There are numerous options available to you, depending on the health of your tooth and gums when you come to California Dental Group.

• The best possible option is to heal your original tooth. This may be possible if you seek treatment immediately after the trauma that knocked the tooth out. We may anchor it in place and give you specific instructions on how to get the tissues around your teeth to heal. This isn’t an option for all patients and even for those it is an option for, it’s not always successful.
• If you must replace the tooth, then a dental implant with a crown is likely your best bet. This is the strongest choice, and implant actually fuse with your surrounding bone. They are designed to last for the rest of your life. A crown is then implanted on top of the implant. In some cases, we may not be able to go this route right away, because we need to ensure your gums have healed from the dental trauma. After implant surgery, you’ll be looking at a waiting period of about three months before we can place a permanent crown. The good news is that we do have temporary options for you.

Have you lost a front tooth? Do you want to know what options would work best with your particular situation? Then contact California Dental Group today! Call us at (800) 407-0161 to set up your appointment.