Q: What should I do if my child’s tooth is knocked loose?
A: It’s tempting to wait and see what happens if your child knocks a tooth loose. But you shouldn’t wait.
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Your dentist must address any variety of tooth movement within 24 hours. With baby teeth, a dentist can often reposition the tooth with just a finger within the first couple of hours.
If there is additional delay, the bone can firm up and it’s difficult to realign the tooth. With baby teeth, dentists typically avoid “major manipulation,” so the tooth may have to remain crooked.
For an adult tooth, your dentist will need to secure it quickly. If not, he or she may need to secure the tooth with stabilizing wires or dental material as soon as possible.
—Pediatric dentist Trista Onesti, DDS
