Traumatic Injuries | Redmond, WA

Traumatic injuries to teeth may cause a physical, psychological, and social impact in children and adolescents. Teeth may be exposed to injuries such as fractures, loosening, and displacement. Approximately 30% of 5^th and 6^th graders experience traumatic injuries to their anterior teeth every year; the main reasons being sport activities, falls and violence.

Open mouth and buck teeth are predisposing factors to dental trauma. Prevention of traumatic injuries to teeth and early and effective treatment will save time, costs, and unnecessary aggravation. Drs. Eichenberger, Kramp or Nasry provide emergency dental care for traumatic injuries. Our Endodontists are uniquely qualified to treat these teeth injuries.

• Crown Fracture
• Loosened or Displaced Teeth
• Avulsed Teeth
• Injuries in children

Crown Fracture

The crown of the tooth can be fractured at different levels. In most cases, the fracture will not cause severe pain to the child.

Emergency care at the site of injury :

• Clean the fractured tooth and find the broken piece.
• Keep the broken piece moisted.
• Apply cold compresses on the cheek from the outside if swelling is present.
• Go immediately to the dentist or endodontist .

Loosened or Displaced Teeth

Injuries to the mouth can cause teeth to be displaced out or pushed back into their sockets. Your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. Root canal therapy is usually started within a few weeks of the injury and a medication, such as calcium hydroxide, will be placed inside the tooth. Eventually, a permanent root canal filling will be implanted.

Sometimes a tooth may be pushed partially out of the socket. Again, your endodontist or general dentist may reposition and stabilize your tooth. If the pulp remains healthy, then no other treatment is necessary. Yet, if the pulp becomes damaged or infected, root canal therapy will be required.

Emergency care at the site of injury :

1.    Close the mouth with a piece of gauze between the upper and lower anterior teeth.

2.    Refer the child or call immediately to the dentist or endodontist.

Avulsed Teeth

If an injury causes a tooth to be completely knocked out of your mouth, it is important that you are treated immediately!

If this happens to you, keep the tooth moist. If possible, put it back into the socket. A tooth can be saved if it remains moist. The best available solution to keep the tooth is milk.

Your Endodontist may start root canal therapy based upon the stage of root development. The length of time the tooth was out of your mouth and the way the tooth was stored, may influence the type of treatment you receive.

Emergency care at the site of injury :

Act quickly! The best chance of saving the tooth is within the first 10 minutes of the accident.

1.  Find the tooth as soon as possible.
2. Handle the tooth by the crown ONLY! Do not touch the root.
3. Immediately replant the tooth to its original place, despite the  bleeding.
4.  If the tooth cannot be replanted, immediately put the tooth in cold milk or in a Save-a-Tooth kit, which you can purchase at the drug store.
5. Close the mouth with a piece of gauze between the upper and lower anterior teeth.
6. Go immediately to the dentist or endodontist.

Injuries in children

An injured immature tooth may need one of the following procedures to improve the chances of saving the tooth:

Apexogenesis

This procedure encourages the root to continue development as the pulp is healed. Soft tissue is covered with medication to encourage growth. The tip of the root (apex) will continue to close as the child gets older. In turn, the walls of the root canal will thicken. If the pulp heals, no additional treatment will be necessary. The more mature the root becomes, the better the chance to save the tooth.

Pulp Revascularization

Even if the crown of the tooth is fully formed, the root keeps developing for 1-2 years after eruption. In cases of trauma to immature roots, a novel procedure called revascularization is a new and viable option. Using some topical medication, the soft tissue inside the tooth (called pulp) can re-enter the root canal space and continue the development of the root.

Apexification

In this case, the unhealthy pulp is removed. The doctors place medication into the root to help a hard tissue form near the root tip. This hardened tissue provides a barrier for the root canal filling. At this point, the root canal walls will not continue to develop, making the tooth susceptible to fractures. So it is important to have the tooth properly restored by your dentist.