It can happen to anyone in the blink of an eye when they least expect.  You’re chewing something innocently when all of a sudden you hear a terrifying crunch that you’re positive wasn’t a part of what you were eating.  To your surprise, you fiddle around in your mouth with your tongue only to find you have a gaping hole where you once had a pearly white.

If it’s your first time losing a tooth, you may be confused about what to do.  You aren’t sure if you should go to the emergency room, or finishing eating your dinner.  They don’t teach these things in school!

The most crucial thing to do is to remain calm.  It’s a fairly straightforward accident that can happen easily to people with even the best of oral hygiene.  Here is what you should do following the tooth falling out.

Check Your Insurance Coverage

You should verify your insurance coverage to see what dental care you’re covered for.  That way you know that when you file a claim, you won’t be met with any surprises.

Usually, your insurance company will give you a pamphlet highlighting what kind of copay you have and whether emergency dental appointments are part of the coverage they provide.  Since this isn’t a straightforward routine procedure, it may be unique circumstances.

Make An Emergency Appointment

It’s vital that you call and make an emergency dental appointment as soon as possible.  Your broken tooth leaves you vulnerable to infection.  It’s important that you get the tooth filled or replaced as soon as possible so that you don’t cause even further damage.

An infected tooth which is left untreated can lead to a root canal or an abscess which requires surgery.  As a general rule of thumb, you should always act fast with dental issues!

Stop Chewing on It

You should stop using the side of your mouth which the damaged tooth is on to chew until you see a dentist.  You could break it further and be in extreme pain as a result.

You should avoid overly hot, cold, or crunchy food while you’re waiting to be seen by an emergency dentist in the interim.

Practice Proper Follow-Up Dental Care

After you’ve received the proper care for your tooth, you should practice proper dental care.  That means brushing twice a day and flossing as well.  You should avoid foods which are overly chewing or crunchy so that you don’t cause further dental damage.

Your teeth are something which you’ll need to make last for the rest of your life, so you might as well treat them well!  After all, no one wants to lose all their teeth by the time they retire.