Dental trauma is a common occurrence along with head injury. Different reasons such as falls, fights, sports injuries, or motor vehicle accidents can cause this situation. If you encounter an oral injury, going to an emergency room can waste your time and effort. However, if you have access to an emergency dentist, proper treatment for your injury can be provided quickly. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of dental trauma and their appropriate treatment.
Traumatic Dental Injuries
Dental traumatology is the study of traumatic dental injuries. This refers to damage to the teeth, gums, alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, and nearby soft tissues such as the tongue, lips etc.
In addition, dental trauma usually happens because of falls, sporting injuries, interpersonal violence, or motor vehicle accidents. The emergency dentist or doctor should get a relevant dental and medical history. This data will determine the proper management of traumatic dental injuries.
Which Kind of Specialist Treats Dental Trauma?
Dentists treat a wide range of dental issues, and your emergency dentist will most likely be your first point of call after supporting dental injury. In dental health settings, endodontists specialise in handling injuries to the teeth, using advanced techniques and skills to save an injured tooth.
International Association of Dental Traumatology: Classification and Treatment
Understanding guidelines for managing traumatic dental injuries, or the dental trauma guide, can help us know what to expect and the possible treatment outcome. This guarantees progression and consistency across all parts of the patient’s management plan.
Dental Hard Tissues and Pulp
The three dental hard tissues are the enamel, dentine, and cementum.
Fractures and injuries restricted to the crown and root can be hard to identify without special equipment. Sometimes, medical doctors do not acquire this device. Hence, it is best to evaluate these fractured teeth based on the following clinical components:
- pain
- mobility of the fractured tooth section
- the appearance of infection in advanced conditions
In addition, damage to the pulp may cause red soft tissue in the affected area. This dental trauma expects a reference to a professional dentist who will take intra-oral radiographs to check the fracture.
Moreover, root canal therapy and restoration of the tooth are some of the treatment options. The doctor should manage the patient’s discomfort and ensure participation with a dentist as soon as possible.
Periodontal Tissues
Concussion
Dental concussions happen when teeth receive a huge hit. Yet, the teeth have not been broken or knocked out entirely. There might be no indications of tooth movement and bleeding, but dental concussion can cause severe pain.
Since there is no necessary treatment from a general doctor, the patient should refer directly to the dentist. A dentist may prescribe a simple painkiller, depending on the seriousness of the injury. Also, a soft diet is essential until review by the dentist.
Subluxation
Dental subluxation is a physical injury with some loosening of the tooth but without displacement or fracture. Common symptoms of subluxation are tenderness to percussion, pain, and mobility.
In any case, this dental trauma requires an urgent dental visit. During the injury, use a splint if available to secure a loose tooth. An emergency dentist may also prescribe painkillers, depending on the severity of the damage. A soft diet is also necessary until further notice by the dentist.
Intrusion
Dental intrusion happens when the tooth has been crashed into the alveolar process because of a directed impact. This is the most extreme type of displacement injury. Pulpal necrosis is more probably to occur in permanent teeth with fully grown roots. In fact, it happens in 96% of intrusive dental displacements.
Common symptoms are pain and displacement of the tooth into the socket. The intruded tooth might harm the tooth root, causing anomalies in tooth development and potential defects influencing the enamel or other crucial designs of permanent teeth.
Moreover, dental intrusion requires immediate dental care. Analgesia may also help relieve severe pain, and a soft diet is crucial after treatment.
Extrusion
A dental extrusion is the displacement of a tooth out of its socket. This trauma can cause tooth sensitivity and severe pain.
Giving a local anaesthetic nerve block to the patient is necessary to reposition the tooth smoothly. Using a splint may also help in this injury. However, know that dental extrusion requires an immediate dental visit. Like other dental injuries, the dentist may prescribe analgesia to aid in pain and a soft diet for proper healing.
Lateral luxation
Lateral luxation is the dislocation of the tooth other than axially. This kind of dental injury is usually associated with comminution, contusion, or fracture of the alveolar bone. Lateral luxation can be unstable and may influence the bone at various levels relying upon the nature of the injury.
In any case, a local anaesthetic nerve block is necessary for tooth reposition. Applying a splint, if available, is also a great help. In addition, know that this type of dental trauma requires an immediate dental care visit.
Avulsion
Dental avulsion, also known as an alveolar fracture, is the complete dislocation of a tooth from its bone socket.
This type of dental injury may cause pain and bleed, and there might be a clot in the socket. The most common avulsed tooth is the maxillary central incisor, which generally presents at 7–10 years old. It is essential to know if the patient inhaled the tooth, especially if it is missing or not found at the accident site. For this assurance, a doctor may take chest imaging. Also, the patient will need to see a dentist and talk about possible restorative choices for the space made by the missing tooth if the tooth is not found.
Treatment for Dental Avulsion
Treatment success for avulsed teeth relies upon:
Time since injury: The ideal time for successful replantation is less than two hours.
Storage material: Keeping the separated tooth in a compatible arrangement will forestall the periodontal ligament from drying out and expand the chance of effective restoration.
The tooth’s type: Primary teeth should not be repositioned or replanted as this might harm the adult tooth growing in the bone.
Type of tooth apex in the permanent tooth: Children with developing permanent teeth with an open tooth apex have more possibility to restore the nerve and blood supply to the teeth. However, an adult tooth with a closed tooth apex may have trouble achieving effective tooth replantation.
Suppose it is not safe for the person to hold the separated tooth inside their cheek because it may choke them. Then, it is better to put the separated tooth in a plastic wrap. Afterwards, the patient should spit some saliva into the plastic before wrapping the tooth.
Dental Emergencies in Adelaide
A dental emergency can happen anytime to anyone. That is why having access to an emergency dentist is the key. Suppose you think you are prone to different types of dental trauma. The emergency dental team in Adelaide offers dental solutions at any day, even during the most unexpected occasions. We at Emergency Dentist Adelaide are trained to deal with different dental emergency cases and are experienced in providing immediate dental care, even to the little ones. So if you or your baby is experiencing a dental emergency, do not hesitate to contact us at (08) 7078 8263 today.
References:
Epidemiological study of traumatic dental injuries in 5- to 6-year-old Brazilian children.
https://www.scielo.br/j/bor/a/XbnzvwrMfYbK7WpNtpQHysS/?lang=en
Intraoral Imaging: Basic Principles, Techniques and Error Correction.
Tooth.
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/tooth
Alveolar Bone Fracture: Pathognomonic Sign for Clinical Diagnosis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5362980/
Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Anesthesia.