Why Is Milk Recommended for Storing a Dislodged Tooth?
Posted on 8/10/2020 by Lemond Hunter
You may have heard that if you ever lose a tooth, you should put it in milk to preserve it until you can get it replaced. You may have also brushed this off as an old wives' tale, but this is isn't a mouth myth. It's actually a tooth truth! However, this isn't the only good advice you should follow after losing a tooth.
How Can Milk Save a Tooth?
When a tooth falls out, we recommend scheduling a visit to our office immediately. In the meantime, the safest place for the life of your tooth is in a vessel containing whole milk. However, another variety of cow's milk may also be good enough to save the tooth. There's a good reason that soaking your tooth in milk is the best option. Unlike water, which can cause your tooth to swell and the roots to break, the protein in milk helps keep the composition of your tooth balanced. This will keep it from dying for a limited amount of time. Whole milk is recommended because it contains more protein than low fat or skim milk.
How Can I Restore My Lost Tooth?
As already noted, you want to call our office for emergency dental services as soon as you lose a tooth. This is because a lost tooth has the best chance of surviving if you can get it replaced within 30 minutes. However, a tooth can possibly be saved and re-implanted up to an hour after you lose it.
Once you make it into our office, we will try to affix your tooth back into the socket with dental adhesive and/or try to reconnect your tooth's roots to the jawbone. Although the crown, roots, and nerves can remain healthy enough to re-implant, there are times when these may be too damaged. In such a case, we will recommend another restoration treatment, such as a dental implant and a replacement crown or bridge made to look and function like your natural teeth. Contact our office immediately if you lose a tooth for any reason.
Location
1739 NE 122nd Ave Portland, OR 97230-1914
Hours
Mondays & Tuesdays: 7 AM - 3 PM Wednesdays & Thursdays: 8 AM - 5 PM Fridays: Closed
You may have heard that if you ever lose a tooth, you should put it in milk to preserve it until you can get it replaced. You may have also brushed this off as an old wives' tale, but this is isn't a mouth myth. It's actually a tooth truth! However, this isn't the only good advice you should follow after losing a tooth.