Trauma
Other than decay and gum disease, traumatic injuries to teeth are a major cause of tooth
loss.
Types of injuries:
- Concussions
A concussive injury occurs when a tooth is bumped or hit, there may or may not be complications
such as fractures. When a tooth is concussed, the blood supply to the pulp may be damaged
and sometimes this causes the nerve and blood vessels within a tooth to die. This results
in a discoloured or painful tooth some time after the accident - days or months! The tooth
will require
root canal treatment and sometimes crowns or
bleaching to rid it
of the discoloration.
- Fractures
Fractures can be complicated (exposing the nerve) or uncomplicated. A complicated fracture may
result in tooth death and may require
root canal treatment for the tooth. Small fractures can be repaired by using composites
or amalgams but larger ones
may require veneers or crowns.
- Avulsion
When the force of the accident causes the tooth to be pulled out of the socket, this is an
avulsion. An avulsed tooth should be immediately placed back into the socket - if it is covered
in debris, gently wash the root with water avoiding contact with the root surface. If you
are unable to reimplant the tooth due to an obstruction or pain, clean the tooth carefully and
place in a glass of milk or under your tongue and see a dentist immediately. An avulsed tooth
can be reimplanted successfully if the tooth is reimplanted within a hour of avulsion. It
will require root canal treatment
after the bone heals and the tooth is held rigidly again.
Soft Tissue Injuries:
- Lacerations
Laceration are cuts and can occur in the soft tissues of the mouth as a result of an accident.
If small, there are usually left to heal without intervention but if the laceration is large
it has to be sutured closed. Muscular tears or cuts must be sutured to ensure that healing
occurs with limited scarring and loss of function.
- Crushing
A crushed lip is commonly seen when a blunt object hits the face. This results in brusing and
swelling of the lips - nothing is done and usually time and cold compresses with allow the
tissue to heal without too much discomfort.
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