Greetings from Dr. Maher Rashid & Dr. Murad Rashid!

Over the years, we can happily say that our patients have not had to consider this issue frequently. However, last week there was an incident where this information would have helped so we thought it would be a good idea to revisit the topic.

It can happen in the blink of an eye: an accident that leaves a tooth hanging by a thread or lying on the ground. Kids, athletes, soccer hooligans - it can happen to just about anyone. Ouch! But if it does happen, it's important to know the proper first aid:

- If the tooth is loose (even extremely so!) but is still attached in any way, leave it in place. Do not remove it!

- If it is out of its socket completely and unattached, but still in the victim's mouth, it is best to have the person hold the tooth in their mouth, if possible, until a dentist can attempt re-implantation.

- If the tooth is out of the mouth, do not let it dry out. Handle it as little as possible. Do not attempt to disinfect the tooth, or scrub it, or remove any tissue attached to it.

- If the tooth is recovered from the ground or other soiled area, rinse it off in lukewarm water. Preserve it in milk until a dentist is available. If milk is not available, lukewarm water will suffice.

Time out of the socket is critical in the long-term success of re-implantation. After 30 minutes, the success potential begins to decline. However, re-implantation is still possible after several hours, so the attempt can still be made even if the tooth has been out for a long period.

Remember, even if re-implantation fails, you have a variety of other options. For more information on emergency dental care or tooth replacement, please don't hesitate to call us at 727-393-9334 or email us at dr.rashid@dolphindental.com today. Tooth Avulsion is a very time sensitive emergency. We will make every effort to make sure that we are there to help, ANYTIME, ANYDAY.

Best Regards,

Dr. Maher Rashid & Dr. Murad Rashid

P.S. If you have any friends or family members who you feel could use our services, please don't hesitate to have them call us. We'll be sure to take good care of them.