Dr. Ashok Kumar

More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year in children and adults. With proper emergency action, a tooth that has been knocked out of its socket can be successfully replanted and last for years. It is important to see a dentist as soon as possible after the tooth is knocked out. Quick action will increase the likelihood of saving the tooth.

Saving a Knocked Out Tooth:
1. Pick up tooth by the crown (the chewing surface) not the root:
Locate the tooth immediately; do not leave it at the site of the accident. The tooth should be handled carefully touch only the crown to minimize injury to the root.

2. If dirty, gently rinse tooth with water:

• Do not use soap or chemicals
• Do not scrub the tooth
• Do not dry the tooth
• Do not wrap it in a tissue or cloth

3. Reposition tooth in socket immediately, if possible:
The sooner the tooth is replaced, the greater the likelihood it will survive. To reinsert, carefully push the tooth into the socket with fingers, or position above the socket and close mouth slowly. Hold the tooth in place with fingers or by gently biting down on it.

4. Keep tooth moist at all times:
The tooth must not be left outside the mouth to dry. If it cannot be replaced in the socket, put it in one of the following:

• Emergency tooth preservation kit
• Milk
• Mouth (next to cheek)
• Regular tap water is not recommended for long term storage because the root surface cells do not tolerate water for long periods of time.

5. See a dentist within 30 minutes:
Bring the tooth to a dentist as soon as possible, ideally, within 30 minutes. However, it is possible to save the tooth even if it has been outside the mouth for an hour or more.

What causes warts? Can we prevent it?

Warts are small formations that occur on the skin. They appear in the form of dark protruding bumps or brown flat lesion on the skin surface. Sometimes they might also have tiny black specks on them. Warts usually form on the hands, feet, face and genitals, although they may appear on other parts of the body in some cases.

What causes the formation of warts?

Common warts are caused due to infection of the outermost layer of skin that occurs as a result of viral contamination. The virus that is responsible for this condition belongs to the human papillomavirus (HPV) family.

This infection is highly contagious and easily spreads from one person to the next. It is most likely to occur on skin that is cut or damaged as that allows easy access for the virus to enter the skin system.

How to prevent the formation of warts?

Common warts are contagious and spread very easily. Preventing the spread of the HPV virus can be done through simple steps that will help you avoid getting affected by this condition.

Some of the preventive measures that can be adopted are as follows:

- picking and scratching on warts should be avoided

- avoid biting fingernails as gnawing on the skin around the nails makes it more prone to infection

- grooming, brushing and shaving around infected areas should be done with care

- moisture and dampness should be avoided as the virus thrives on it

Do not self-medicate with lime (chuna), garlic, onion or Dettol.

Treatment

Wart removal should be done by a qualified dermatologist. It is simple, safe opd procedure which takes few minutes only and does not leave any scars.

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Related Tip: 6 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Warts - Cauliflower-like Skin Inflammation

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