A U. S. implant dentist has cautioned that a flying hockey puck to the mouth is not the only way to lose teeth.

Teeth can also be lost in all sorts of sports besides hockey and other kinds of accidents, too, says Dr. Joseph Orrico of Elmwood Park, Ill., and a member of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.

The type of injury suffered will influence how the damaged teeth can be treated, he further advises.

Orrico said in a statement, "Sometimes teeth are completely knocked out, roots and all, so in those cases place the tooth or teeth in a container of cold milk and get to a dentist within 30 minutes for a reinsertion procedure."

Orrico also says that the milk has a neutral pH balance and is a good fluid in which to try to keep alive any of the remaining living tissue on the root surface.

However, time is of the essence. In situations when teeth are broken above the gum line, Orrico says the dentist might perform a root canal procedure to save the tooth structure and restore it with a crown.

Orrico further says that if a tooth is fractured below the gum line, it may be best to extract the fragment and insert a dental implant, a bridge or a removable dental prosthesis. (With Inputs from Agencies)