When Should You See a Dentist for a Loose Tooth After an Injury?

When a Loose Tooth Needs a Dentist

If an adult tooth becomes loose after an injury, arrange a dental appointment as soon as you can. This is particularly important if the tooth moves when you touch it with your tongue or finger. You don’t need to poke it repeatedly to find out, though. You already know something feels wrong.

A dentist will look at the tooth and the surrounding area. They may also take an X-ray because damage isn’t always visible from the outside. The tooth can look perfectly normal while the root or supporting bone has taken a hit.

Don’t Ignore These Signs

• The tooth is noticeably moving, even during gentle biting. That’s a good reason to stop testing it yourself.

• Pain when you bite down, particularly if the pain appeared right after the injury.

• Bleeding around the tooth or swelling that wasn’t there before.

• The tooth looks darker than the others later on, which can signal a problem inside the tooth.

• A tooth that has shifted position or looks shorter than it did before the accident.

What Should You Do Until Your Appointment?

Try not to wiggle the tooth. Seriously. Every little test puts movement through tissues that are already irritated.

Stick with foods that don’t require much force from that area. And brush carefully around the tooth so the area stays clean without scrubbing it aggressively.

If an adult tooth is loose after an injury, getting it checked early gives you the clearest idea of what’s actually happening. Sometimes the answer is simply time and care. Sometimes it isn’t.

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