The abstract article today……

Just something to highlight……..

Most parents or caregivers are not aware that knocked-out tooth is actually a dental emergency that should be taken seriously.  The knocked-out tooth can be saved.  In such a case – WATCH THE CLOCK!

You can go to http://www.mytoothcaretips.com to find out more………

Something to Share……

Yesterday, did additional research on Knocked-Out Tooth cases in Singapore.  Found out that a study was done by the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore on “Dental Trauma Management Awareness of Singapore pre-school teachers” featured at Dent Traumatol. 2001 Apr;17(2):71-6

Here’s an abstract of the article:

“Abstract –The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of pre-school teachers concerning the management of traumatized teeth. A questionnaire survey of teachers’ backgrounds, attitudes/practices and knowledge was distributed to all teachers who attended a dental education program organized by the Singapore Dental Health Foundation. Of a total of 291 teachers surveyed, 29% had received tertiary education, while the rest (71%) had received secondary education. The mean teaching experience was 6.8±6.9 years. About a quarter had previous experience in handling dental trauma. Sixty-three percent admitted having no knowledge of dental trauma; 79% were unsatisfied with their level of knowledge in this area; 95% were keen to have further education in dental trauma; 65% thought dental trauma emergency should be dealt with as soon as possible. Concerning knowledge, during-office hour emergency services were more familiar (84%) than after-office hour emergency services (15%), as was the concept of management of avulsed teeth (71%) compared to that of fractured teeth (51%). Knowledge about optimal storage media for avulsed permanent teeth was especially poor – being as low as 15%. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that teaching experience significantly influenced the respondents’ self-assessed knowledge and their level of satisfaction with their knowledge (P=0.012). Teachers with more teaching experience had better knowledge about the replantation of permanent teeth (P=0.003). It is recommended that public education targeted at teachers should be carried out to increase dental trauma management awareness.”

You can go to the following link to get a copy of the article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11475949&dopt=AbstractPlus

Saving A Knocked-Out Tooth – Knocked-Out Tooth Emergency First Aid Kit

Knocked-Out Tooth is a common accident, especially among children, sports related activities and even on the road.  In the US alone, almost five million teeth got knocked-out from the mouth every year.  Ninety percent of these teeth could have been saved and reinserted back if proper preservation techniques has been used during the time of the accident or incident.

Parents, caregivers or people present during the accident usually bring the knocked-out tooth to th dentist in the hope that it can be replanted.  However, generally if the initial necessary steps to keep the tooth viable for replantation is not taken, the chances of a successful replantation of the knocked-out tooth becomes minimal or at most zero.

Generally, the public understanding is that submerging the tooth in milk will preserve it.  The truth is that the main component of our tooth is enamel.  It is one of the hardest substance in our body.  However, once the tooth is out of a person’s mouth, it begins to die.  This happens in just 15 minutes.  Frequently, without proper storage, within two hours the tooth is dead.  For the tooth to be successfully replanted, the periodontal ligament has to be kept alive.  This periodontal ligament is a thin layer of cells surrounding the tooth.

A device was developed by Dr Paul R. Krasner, a professor at Temple University School of Dentistry.  This patented 6-part system is a good way to keep the tooth alive during a knocked-out accident and during transportation from the accident venue to the dentist.  Dr Krasner’s system addresses the two primary causes of replanted tooth loss :

• tooth cell crushing (especially during transportation from accident venue to the dentist)
• tooth cell dehydration

The system uses a scientifically engineered removable basket to suspend the tooth in a formulated pH balanced fluid.  It helps to keep the tooth in a save environment, which prevents additional trauma.  A tooth that has been out of a person’s mouth, when placed in the solution within 2 hours can be preserved for up to four days.  This will give doctors time to utilize the tooth while repairing the external injury.

The system is called Save-A-Tooth.  It is recommended by Clinical Research Associates and the Emergency Research Council Institute and is endorsed by the American Dental Association.  It is also the only tooth preserving system that is approved by FDA.  In clinical studies, it has been shown to be 91% successful.

A company in Singapore, known as 2TH Gen (pronounced as Tooth Gen),  has comprehensively packed the Save-A-Tooth together with the necessary Wound Management products from brands like 3M, Smith & Nephew and London Healthcare Limited, as a quick-response one-stop preservation of the knocked-out tooth, on site.  This kit is known as the Knocked-Out Tooth Emergency First Aid Kit.

Original tooth is nature’s ideal implants.  By using the original tooth for replantation during a knocked-out also saves the patient money.  A prosthetic tooh can costs a few thousand dollars.  This, however will never compare to a real tooth.

Due to the cost to benefit ratio of the Knocked-Out Tooth Emergency First Aid Kit, it is a prudent addition to all first aid kits.

So please seriously consider keeping the Knocked-Out Tooth Emergency First Aid Kit handy.  Don’t put your family at risk because accidents can happen at any time, anywhere and to anyone.

You may not be able to prevent accidents……but you can definitely help to retain smiles……..

For further information, you can go to http://www.mytoothcaretips.com