Traumatic Dental Injuries

Traumatic dental injuries often occur as a result of an accident or sports injury. The majority of these injuries are minor - chipped teeth. It’s less common to dislodge your tooth or have it knocked completely out but these injuries are more severe. Treatment depends on the type, location and severity of each injury. Regardless of the extent of the injury, your tooth requires immediate examination by a dentist or an endodontist. Sometimes, your neighboring teeth suffer an additional, unnoticed injury that can only be detected by a thorough dental exam.

There are different types of cracks:

• Avulsed/knocked out tooth/teeth
  
  • Act quickly! Get to a dentist ASAP! Pick up the tooth by the crown and gently rinse off. If able to, replant the tooth in the socket. If unable to replant, place the tooth in a container with saliva or milk.
  • Your Endodontist may start root canal treatment based upon the stage of root development and the tooth will likely be splinted with a flexible splint. The length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way the tooth was stored, may influence the type of treatment you receive.
• Dislodged teeth: Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be pushed back into their sockets. Your general dentist or specialist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal treatment is usually started within a few weeks of the injury and a medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth. Eventually, a permanent root canal filling will be implanted. Sometimes a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. Yet, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, root canal treatment will be required. If left untreated, many different complications can arise.