SOS tips on tooth loss

Tooth failure: Dos and Don'ts for optimal care

Often it happens in just a few seconds. Once crashed unhappy and already a piece of the tooth breaks off or is completely lost. Important: Do not panic now. "Anyone who acts rashly, according to experience, complicates the later treatment success," notes Dr. med. Lutz Spanka, Master of Science for Implantology and Dental Surgery and Orthodontics at ZahnZentrum Dr. Ing. Spanka & colleagues in Hude.

Absolutely refrain!

Under no circumstances should sufferers burden loose teeth. Because pressure leads to additional damage. If it comes to a complete failure, many tend to touch the tooth at the respective breaking edge or to clean it in the sink. Both should be avoided. "Even a slight pressure of a jet of water destroys the sensitive cells at the tooth root partially to completely," explains the expert. In the best case, sufferers take the tooth at the top and bring it as quickly as possible to a doctor. This not only increases the chances of a complete recovery, but also plays a role in reimbursement. Depending on how quickly affected people respond to the damage, the health insurance subsidy will be higher or lower.

Supply in three steps

First, sufferers have to stop the bleeding. With smaller wounds cooling is enough with the help of a wet washcloth. If this does not produce the desired effect, it is best to bite gently on a tissue handkerchief. The next step is to keep the fragments or the complete tooth as well as possible. "So-called rescue boxes are suitable for safekeeping. These contain cell cultures and nutrient media in which tooth parts survive between 24 and 48 hours. If these are not available, use H-milk or isotonic saline solution from the pharmacy ", emphasizes Dr. med. Spanka.

However, the tissue only lasts for a half to a maximum of two hours, so sufferers should not waste any time. At night and on public holidays, the dental emergency service enables fast treatment. In many places it can also be read that those affected best keep the tooth in the oral cavity. Experts advise against this: Although saliva protects the root for up to 30 minutes, there is a risk of swallowing especially in younger patients.

Rescue by the specialist

If sufferers keep the biological material well, doctors use a plastic glue and a blue light bulb to easily re-attach small pieces of tooth.

If this is no longer possible, crowns provide an aesthetic front. Optionally, so-called veneers serve as a gentle alternative. With these wafer-thin ceramic bowls, doctors have to grind the tooth material far less than with a crown. With complete tooth loss specialists put usually an implant, a kind artificial root. Here, titanium and all-ceramics have prevailed as suitable materials, as these usually trigger no allergies or rejection reactions and the real teeth in no way inferior. (Sb)