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How to Save a Tooth If It Gets Knocked Out During a Tackle

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Even though rugby wasn't invented in Australia, you could be mistaken for thinking so, as it has a legion of passionate players and supporters. This may be a sport that you grew to love when you first encountered it in school and have continued to play almost every weekend in the season. As you know, this is definitely a 'rough and tumble' activity, and you need to be in good shape if you're going to enjoy it to its full extent. You also need to protect some of your more sensitive parts, including your teeth, but sometimes accidents happen and can have consequences. What should you do if you're unlucky enough to lose one of your teeth on the playing field?

What About a Mouth Guard?

Most teams insist that players wear a mouth guard these days, as they do in most contact sports. These devices will protect you in most incidents, but occasionally they can be knocked out of place themselves, and you could lose a tooth.

What to Do Next

When this happens, your first thought may be to locate an emergency dentist nearby so that he or she can help you replace it. However, you should act before you even leave the pitch, as time can often be of the essence.

Taking Action

Hopefully, you will be able to find the missing tooth if it has been completely knocked out during the tackle. The emergency dentist may be able to save this, so you need to rinse it off using fresh water to get rid of any dirt and debris. Have a closer look at it, and if you think that the root is largely in place, then you can certainly try and put it back in straight away. Remember, your tooth is a living part of your body, and the sooner you get it back in, the higher the chance you'll be able to save it.

Reinserting the Tooth

If you need to, get somebody to help you replace the tooth by applying pressure either on top of your head or beneath your jaw. Press down and keep this pressure on for a couple of minutes. Some people worry that they might replace the tooth incorrectly, but it will only fit a certain way, so you won't cause more damage.

Maintaining Pressure

Hopefully, this will stop any bleeding, but you still need to maintain a gentle pressure until you get to the dentist. Ideally, you should take somebody with you who can talk through what happened so that you can keep the pressure on.

Letting the Experts Step In

When you finally get to the office, the dentist may be very pleased at your emergency work and will do some of their own to rectify. Occasionally, you may have to have a root canal performed to give the tooth its best chance of survival, but the dentist is best placed to advise you.


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