A Dental Emergency for School Nurses

I received a phone call from a frantic school nurse the other day, she said that a child’s tooth was knocked out and she scrubbed it and called his mother.  It turns out that this was an adult tooth, and this poor nurse foiled any chance of reattachment.

If a baby tooth falls out, it is adorable. Nurses can comfort the child – have them rinse their mouth with water, and give them the tooth to take home.  I always caution mentioning the tooth fairy, spoiler alert: it seems the tooth fairy does not visit every house.  As a school nurse, it is also important to call the child’s parent / guardian and let them know that their once full mouthed child can is missing something.

When an adult tooth falls out, the tune changes quickly.  This is a dental emergency and time is the enemy.  A Dentist typically has an hour to reinsert an adult tooth.  Have the child rinse his mouth with water, and call the parent immediately.  They are going to need every minute to get to the school, and get their child to a dentist.  Next, keep the tooth moist.  The best place to put the tooth is in a glass of milk.  Just drop it in, and please don’t scrub the tooth.  All those lovely nerves that are waiting to be reattached, if you scrub them, they are gone forever.  Another trick that my dentist told me, if you don’t have milk handy, put the tooth in the child’s mouth.  Obviously this depends on the age of the child.  There is a pocket above your upper lip that is the perfect place to hold a tooth and you don’t have to worry about swallowing it.  This will keep the tooth moist, and ready for reattachment!

Disclaimer: This article is not a substitute for medical or dental advice.