Traumatic injuries
The most common cause of traumatic dental injuries is an accident or sports injury. Traumatic dental injuries can be minor (chipped tooth) or major (dislodged tooth or knocked out tooth). It is not uncommon for multiple teeth to be involved when a traumatic injury is sustained. Treatment depends on the type, location and severity of each injury. Regardless of the extent of the injury, your tooth requires immediate examination by an endodontist.
Endodontists are dentists who specialize in treating teeth that had traumatic dental injuries. With their advanced skills, techniques and technologies they often can save the teeth involved in a trauma. If you have a chipped tooth, dislocated tooth or knocked out tooth please call us right away and we will do our absolute best to see you promptly.
A crack on the tooth won’t heal but it can be eliminated in some cases while preparing the tooth for a crown or filling as long as the crack is not deep. In most cases cracked teeth can be saved with root canal treatment and or a crown. In some cases despite treatment the cracks may continue to progress further and lead to failure. If treatment fails with cracked teeth then usually the tooth needs extraction.
Most chipped teeth can be easily repaired by your dentist by restoring the missing portion of your tooth with a tooth colored filling material. A root canal treatment is necessary if the pulp is exposed or is near the chipped area. However if the cracks extend to the root surface or if the tooth is split then these teeth may require extraction.
In the case of a traumatic injury, a tooth may be pushed sideways, into, or out of its socket. Root canal treatment is usually needed for permanent teeth that have been dislodged and should be started a few days after the injury.
It is very important to see your endodontist as soon as possible (preferably within 30min) if one of your teeth is completely knocked out of your mouth. For the best long term results here are few simple things you can do if your tooth is knocked out.
A traumatic injury to your tooth may cause a horizontal root fracture where the fracture line extends from one side of the root to the other. Your tooth may or may not be loose depending on the location of the fracture. If your tooth is loose a stabilizing splint may be necessary for a few weeks. The long term prognosis depends on the location of the fracture.