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Dealing With Traumatic Tooth Injuries
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Tooth injuries can occur for a variety of reasons, including: car accidents, sporting incidents and falling. A traumatic dental injury can be scary and should receive immediate dental attention. You might not realize the extent of the damage that has occurred until you seek dental assistance. Sometimes the injury is severe enough to affect the surrounding teeth in your mouth — teeth that you never suspected were injured as a result of the accident.
Cracked TeethCracked teeth occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it happens from simply chewing the wrong way. You might or might not feel immediate pain with a cracked tooth, depending on its severity. If the pulp of your tooth is exposed, the pain will be consistent, whereas if the crack is minor, you might only feel the pain when biting down or chewing. The severity of the crack will determine the type of procedure that will rectify the situation. In some cases, such as a craze line or fractured cusp, the damage is cosmetic and simply requires a crown to strengthen the tooth. On the other hand, if the entire tooth cracks, reaching down into the roots, you will feel immediate pain and will oftentimes need the tooth extracted. In some cases, when immediate attention is sought, the tooth can be saved with a root canal and dental crown, depending on the damage that has occurred.
Vertical Root FractureThe vertical root fracture starts at the root of the tooth and works its way up. This type of tooth injury is not often easily detected until it is in its advanced stages; this is when infection usually sets in and gives up warning signs of the injury. The treatment for the vertical root fracture depends on its severity – in the worst case, the tooth needs to be extracted and tooth replacement will need to be discussed; however, if any part of the tooth is able to be rectified, a root canal and dental crown might be able to be used. If you notice any signs of this type of injury, getting in to be seen is of utmost importance in order to allow Dr. Frishkey to determine if the tooth can be saved before infection begins.
Dislodged TeethA dislodged tooth is one that is knocked into or out of its socket. This commonly occurs in car accidents and sporting incidents. The dislodged tooth needs to be immediately stabilized in order to save it. Because the roots are affected in this type of injury, a root canal typically needs to be performed within a few days of the injury. The extent of the procedure that needs to be performed will depend on whether or not the roots and pulp of your tooth were affected. If the pulp has been exposed, further treatment will be necessary to cover up the pulp with healthy tissue and to reposition the tooth.
Avulsed TeethA tooth that is knocked out, otherwise known as an avulsed tooth, is an immediate emergency. Because time is crucial in order to save your natural tooth, you will need to be seen on an emergency basis. If you are able to find the tooth, do not touch its roots. You should try to place the tooth back into its socket, holding it in place with your tongue. If this is not possible, you need to keep the roots moist by either holding the tooth in your cheek or placing it in a glass of milk. You will need the tooth placed back in the socket as soon as possible in order to save it. Once the emergency has been rectified, Dr. Frishkey can determine if your roots were damaged in the process, in which case a root canal would be necessary.
Dental emergencies are nothing to ignore. If you feel incredible pain, think you cracked a tooth or suffered a spontaneous injury to the facial region, immediate dental attention is required. The faster that you are seen, the more likely it is that your tooth/teeth will be able to be saved, promoting overall dental health in the long run.
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