The majority of dental traumas occur as a result of an accident or sporting injury. In most cases, the trauma is fairly mild such as a cracked or chipped tooth.

However, there are instances in which the sustained trauma is much more significant, requiring extensive dental work to repair the damage and restore both the function and appearance of the patient’s teeth.

Most patients who have sustained a dental trauma are referred to an endodontist. Endodontists are dental practitioners who help treat traumatic dental injuries.

The purpose of an endodontist is to do everything possible to save your natural teeth, and their extensive training and knowledge means that it is now more viable to save injured teeth in a dental trauma than ever before.

Types of Dental Trauma and How They Are Treated

There are several main types of dental trauma that tend to be presented to endodontists. These are:

Chipped/fractured teeth

This is the most common type of dental trauma and is fairly easy to treat. In some instances, it may be possible to reattach the broken piece of tooth. Alternatively, a cavity filling or crown may be used to secure the pieces of the tooth back together. If the pulp has been exposed, root canal treatment may be needed to ensure that there is no infection within the root.

Root fractures

Some types of injury can cause a fracture to develop horizontally across the tooth root. The exact location of the fracture will affect the outcome for your tooth, but the closer it is to the root tip the better. Your endodontist may recommend that you wear a stabilizing splint while the fracture heals naturally.

Dislodged teeth

If you have experienced a blow to the mouth, you may find that one or multiple teeth have been pushed slightly out of their socket becoming ‘dislodged’. Root canal treatment is necessary and should be started within a day or two of the injury to be most effective. This should prevent any infection from setting in. The tooth should then be able to be pushed back into place and may be sealed using a dental crown.

Knocked-out teeth

In some situations, a blunt force trauma to the mouth may be so severe that one or several teeth are completely knocked out. If this happens, you should try and find the missing tooth as quickly as possible. Do not touch or handle the tooth’s roots, as this may compromise the likelihood of saving the natural tooth. If the patient can get to the emergency dentist with the knocked out tooth fairly quickly, there is a good chance that the tooth may be able to be reattached.

A dental trauma may be a painful and distressing experience, but modern dentistry has evolved considerably over the last few decades, and it is now easier than ever to restore the function of a smile that has undergone dental trauma.

If you have suffered a dental trauma and would like expert advice, or if you would like to schedule an appointment with our experienced dental team, call Boss Dental Care today at 261-245-5400.