I was playing with my son. He was a ninja. Everything was fine until he did a jump kick off the couch which caught me in the mouth. I thought it was okay. It hurt for a bit, but then felt better. However, this morning the teeth feel a little loose. Whenever I jiggle them, they move. Am I going to lose them or can they be saved?

Mary W.

Dear Mary,

The most important thing to do right now is to stop messing with it. There are ligaments holding them in place. They’re stretched right now, but if you keep messing with them they could snap. Then you will lose your teeth.

The next thing to do is call your dentist’s office. They need to stabilize your teeth somehow. There are several methods to chose from, but they need time to heal. If you don’t have a dentist, you can do an internet search for an emergency dentist. Many of them will see you the same day, even if you’re not a patient. Protecting it and keeping it in place may give it time to heal. Though, if the pulp is damaged then a root canal procedure may be necessary.

In the meantime, make sure you’re babying the tooth as much as possible. It might not be a bad idea to avoid ninjas for a while too.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Don Swearingen.