Although a workplace accident may be rare, there are instances in which an injury may occur in a work environment. Sometimes, an injury is limited to your teeth. For instance, an inadvertent blow to the mouth from a fall at work could result in a dislodged tooth. Here are some measures you should take to treat a dislodged tooth when the accident occurs at work:
Locate your tooth.
After an accident, you may be a bit disoriented, but it is necessary to locate your dislodged tooth if you wish to salvage it. Once the tooth is out of its normal oral environment, it should be handled with extreme care.
Rather than grabbing the tooth from any angle, it is best to only touch the crown portion that is normally exposed. Handling the root area of a dislodged tooth can make it more difficult for the tooth to re-assimilate in the mouth.
If co-workers are assisting with locating your tooth, be sure to advise them of how the tooth should be handled.
Advise your supervision and call the dentist.
As soon as a workplace accident occurs, it is wise to advise your manager or supervisor of the situation. A dislodged tooth is considered a dental emergency and requires immediate care. Thus, after advising your supervision and calling the dentist, you will likely need to leave your workplace.
Rinse it.
If your tooth has encountered dirt or debris from the floor or another surface, be sure to rinse it gently using cold water. If bottled water is handy or nearby, simply pouring a bit of it over the tooth should suffice.
Replace the tooth in the mouth.
If your oral injuries allow, place the rinsed tooth back into its socket. The sooner the tooth is back in its normal environment, the better your chances of salvaging it.
In some cases, it may be difficult to place a tooth back into the socket due to the amount of gum damage that occurred during the accident. In this instance, you can place the tooth in the pouch made by the inner surface of your cheek. Your saliva can help keep the tooth moist so that any living material that is still attached to the root of the tooth does not dry out.
If using your cheek as a holding place is not feasible, ask a co-worker to bring a bit of milk from your office break room. Using a small cup or a sealable bag, place the tooth in the milk for transport to your dentist.
Regardless of where you experience a dislodged tooth, it is important to receive immediate dental treatment. For this and any other dental emergency, contact a dentist in your area as soon as possible.
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