Having an adult tooth knocked out is something that no one wants to go through, and going through it as a child with a baby tooth isn't much better. But beyond the initial trauma and pain, is it really necessary to visit a dentist? Here's what you should know.

Common Misconceptions

Unfortunately, it's a common misconception that since children have adult teeth waiting to come in, they don't need care for a baby tooth being knocked out. However, this isn't really the case.

Baby teeth serve more of a purpose than just being there to help your child chew. They also act as guideposts for adult teeth. As an adult tooth starts to move in, the baby tooth is right in front of it, holding the gums apart. This allows the adult tooth to slide in right behind it, ensuring that it doesn't come in crookedly and out of alignment. Without the baby tooth there, an adult tooth can come in very crookedly or even start leaning to one side, where it can potentially impact neighboring teeth.

Potential Problems

Sadly, that isn't the only problem that your child could deal with. There could be a much more dangerous situation on your hands right now.

When a tooth is knocked out, it often doesn't knock out the entire tooth, root and all. Sometimes the tooth breaks and only the top of the tooth comes out, while the root remains in place. This root is now dead and will start to break down while still under the gums. This can trigger a severe gum infection and even sepsis if left untreated. If the infection becomes bad enough, it could even kill the adult tooth before it has a chance to move into place.

What to Do

The short answer here is that if your child ever has a tooth knocked out, regardless of their age, you need to head to a dentist right away. Emergency dentists excel at solving this kind of dental emergency and can see you whenever you need help, so get in touch with one. Your child will need to have their gums inspected and get an X-ray done to see if there's still a portion of the tooth remaining. If there is, it will need to be extracted.

Baby teeth may only be temporary, but that doesn't mean that if they experience trauma, it's no big deal. If your child ever has a tooth knocked out, seek an emergency dentist's help immediately.