TOOTH IS THE ONLY BODY PART, WHICH CANNOT REPAIR ITSELF

A milk tooth usually stays in the mouth till it’s time for its permanent successor to erupt. If a child’s tooth has come out too soon, either due to some injury or due to cavities, it becomes important to maintain that space such that the permanent tooth may erupt without problems. This maintenance of space is done by an appliance known as the space maintainer. Space maintainers prevent the movement of the teeth adjacent to the extraction socket. These appliances are custom made by the dentist for each child and are fabricated either with acrylic or with metal wires. These are small and unobtrusive and the child easily adjusts to it. TYPES:   Removable  – Removable space maintainers are similar to orthodontic appliances and are usually made of acrylic. In some cases, an artificial tooth may be used to fill a space that must remain open for the unerupted tooth. These can be removed by the patient: 2. Fixed  – These cannot be removed by the ...

­ WHAT IS AVULSION? Avulsion injury is a term used to describe a tooth getting completely knocked out of its socket.   WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF AVULSION?   1. Collisions and falls      2. Road Traffic Accidents     3. Upper front teeth that are protruding       4. Sporting activities     WHAT TO DO IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW KNOCKS THEIR TOOTH OUT? Most importantly STAY CALM. Find the tooth and make sure you hold it only by the crown (the part visible in the mouth) and place it under running tap water for 10 seconds. If possible, place it back into the socket in the mouth and try positioning it. Ask the person to bite down on a clean handkerchief and rush to a dentist. If it is not possible to replace the tooth at the site of accident, place the tooth in milk and immediately go to a dentist. The dental surgeon will evaluate the injury and the tooth and if poss...