Trauma To The Tooth

Fractured, Loosened or Knocked-Out Tooth? 

Fractured tooth:

The Upper front teeth are prone to injury and fracture.If after injury, a tooth is not sensitive to air, most likely the superficial surface of the tooth has been harmed.

The hard protective layer of your tooth is called Enamel. This layer on injury does not cause pain.

Even if the enamel has sustained a small chip,immediate treatment is not required.

Fractures of the intermediate layer of your tooth(dentin) are usually painful or very sensitive when exposed to air or food. PEOPLE WITH SUCH FRACTURES SEEK DENTAL HELP QUICKLY.

The innermost part of the tooth is called the pulp. This is the life of your tooth. It has nerve and blood supply to the tooth. If injured it is very painful and you may be able to see a red spot or some blood will appear in the fracture.

In such cases, root canal treatment may be required to remove the remaining pulp before it dies and causes more pain/infection.

Loosened Tooth:

If an injury loosens a tooth in the socket or if the surrounding gum tissue bleeds a great deal, a person should see a Dentist immediately.

Milk tooth/Deciduous Teeth: If its a milk tooth, damaged and mobile, it may be removed to prevent harm to the permanent tooth.

Permanent tooth if loosened due to injury, the professional may do a procedure called splinting in the clinic. However, it is advised to hold the tooth in place for five mins with digital pressure until you reach the dentist.

Such teeth may require a root canal treatment eventually.

They may also change colour over the period of years and get brownish to black in appearance.

Discolouration Of The Tooth Subjected To Trauma

Knocked out or dislodged teeth:

Knocked out baby teeth should not be re-implanted for fear it will damage the permanent tooth bud.

A knocked out permanent tooth requires immediate treatment.

The tooth should be rinsed off and placed back in the socket in the right direction. If that is not possible,the tooth should be placed  in a glass of cold milk In either case, the tooth and the patient should be taken immediately to the dentist within 20 mins to 30 mins.

If a tooth is re-implanted within 30 minutes, the likelihood that it will stay healthy is good.

The longer the tooth is out of the socket, the worse the chance for long term success.

The dentist usually splints the tooth to the surrounding teeth for 7-10 days.

Re-implanted teeth eventually need root canal treatment.

In case the bone around the teeth has got fractured, the tooth may have to be splinted for 6 to 10 weeks.

In case of intrusion into the socket, its most likely going to come back to its position. However, consultation with a Dentist and x rays are mandatory.

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Good luck
Dr.Sreenita Chowdhury
drsreenita@tutdental.com