Dave and Staci were on a long overdue date night. The date was nothing fancy. Just a movie at the Regal Theatre, dinner at the local Chili’s restaurant and a walk on the beach. Most importantly for Dave and Staci, it was time away from the kids!
When the movie ended, Dave and Staci eagerly headed out to the car. They were hungry and ready to eat some Fajitas! As they approached their parking spot, they passed a group of teenagers who seemed to be hanging out in the parking lot with no particular place to be. One of the teenagers approached Dave and asked, “Sir, do you have change for a twenty?” Dave responded, “Nah, I don’t. Sorry.”
Dave and Staci resumed moving toward their car. As Dave opened the driver’s side door and began to step in, he felt a heavy blow to his mouth. He quickly turned 180 degrees to assess what just hit him. But all he saw was that same group of teenagers laughing and running away at full speed.
Dave immediately felt a gap in his teeth and then spotted his front tooth on the driver’s side seat. When he reached out to to grab it, Staci yelled out, “Don’t touch it!”. Staci happens to be a dental assistant and knew exactly what to do.
Stacy grabbed Dave’s tooth by the crown (not the root) and lightly rinsed it off with water. “Dave, open your mouth. I need to place the tooth back into the socket.” She got it back in and Dave felt no pain. Stacy immediately called Dave’s dentist, who happens to be Staci’s employer. They got to the office within 30 minutes. Their date night was unfortunately cut short, but Dave’s tooth was able to be saved.
Quick guide to saving a knocked out tooth.
- Grab the tooth by the crown only. Do not touch the root!
- If the tooth is dirty, gently rinse it off with water. Do not scrub it!
- Try to gently place it back in the socket.
- If you can’t place it back in the socket, store it in a moist place. Place it in milk or your cheek, or under your tongue.
- Get to your dentist ASAP. The clock is ticking. You have 1 hour max (ideally 30 minutes) to get there.
Are you are currently looking for a dentist in the Taunton, MA area? If so, go see Dr. Mark Turner and his compassionate team on 129 High St. They can help you with all your dental needs, including saving a knocked out tooth.
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