Types of Dental Trauma
There are many different kinds of injuries and problems that can result in damage to your teeth and the various structures around your teeth. Broadly, these can all be classified as kinds of dental trauma. If you experience some form of dental trauma, it’s important that you speak with Philadelphia endodontist Dr. Eric N. Hodges as soon as possible so you can get the dental care you need when it is most needed. In some cases of dental trauma, you may need to visit an emergency room, though this would apply to only very serious injuries. As a general rule, so long as the dental trauma involves the teeth and no major damage to you jaw or bone structure, then you likely don’t need to go to the hospital.
Since these dental trauma can happen in different ways and involve different sorts of injuries and needs, we’d like to take a moment to cover the basics of dental trauma injuries and what they involve.
One of the most common kinds of dental traumas is the tooth fracture. Tooth fractures involve the chipping or cracking of an individual tooth. This may occur during blunt trauma to the mouth (such as in a car accident or a sports injury) or may involve accidentally biting a hard substance that compromises the enamel and dentin of a tooth. Treatment will vary depending on the severity of the fracture, but usually bonding, dental veneers, or dental crowns may be best used for this dental problem.
Another common kind of dental trauma is the loss of a tooth. This may occur in accidents and blunt trauma as mentioned above. In many cases, the upper row of teeth is more prone to being knocked out than the lower row of teeth. If possible, it’s important that you retain the knocked out tooth, rinse it off with clean water or milk, and attempt to slip the tooth gently back where it was lost prior to visiting our office. It may be possible for Dr. Hodges to save the tooth, though if it is not possible, then a replacement bridge may be used.
The last dental trauma we’ll discuss is the displaced tooth. This is a tooth that is not knocked out completely but is instead shifted out of position. This makes a tooth appear longer or shorter than it once was. Again, physical injury can lead to this type of trauma. In some cases, Philadelphia root canal or an extraction will be necessary to deal with this issue.
To learn more about various dental care needs, we encourage you to contact our Philadelphia dental office today.
