Dental Trauma Dentist Fountain Valley, CA
Dental trauma refers to any damage to your teeth, gums, jawbone, or the soft tissues in your mouth. Accidents like falls, car crashes, and sports injuries are the leading causes of these injuries. Getting treatment quickly offers the best chance for a full recovery. When you visit Bijan Family Dental Practice, we treat all trauma cases as an emergency.
Understanding Dental Trauma
Dental trauma involves injuries to the teeth and surrounding structures, such as the gums, lips, or jawbone. These injuries can happen from different events, such as falling, sports impacts, car accidents, or fights. The severity can vary from small chips or cracks to serious issues like knocked-out teeth or a broken jaw. Traumas can range from small chips or fractures to complex ones like knocked-out teeth.
Causes of Dental Trauma
Dental trauma can quickly land you in an emergency dental office. Just like other emergencies, dental trauma happens unexpectedly. When you experience dental trauma, you can rely on our dentist to take swift action. Here are the three most common causes of dental trauma and some tips on how to avoid them.
Sports Injuries
You do not have to be a professional hockey player to suffer dental trauma during a game. Sports injuries happen every day, whether in the sports arena or your backyard. Examples of dental trauma from sports include avulsed teeth, which occur when a tooth is knocked out of its socket. Wearing sports mouthguards and helmets with mouthguards is an excellent way to prevent sports-related dental injuries.
Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents are a major cause of dental trauma emergencies. These accidents can result in fractured or broken teeth. To prevent dental trauma in a car accident, always wear seat belts correctly (and avoid using off-market seat belt adjusters).
Physical Impact
Physical impact refers to anything that hits suddenly and forcefully in the face or mouth area. This includes incidents like accidental falls and fistfights. Such impacts often lead to dental trauma, resulting in knocked-out teeth, root fractures, and even broken jawbones.
Common Types of Dental Injuries
Many types of dental trauma injuries can happen. However, three types of dental trauma injuries are common. When any of these occur, you should seek urgent medical care. The three most common injuries are:
Fractured Teeth
If you have a minor chip in your tooth and it does not hurt, it is a cosmetic issue that your dentist can fix. However, if the chip or crack is more serious, it can make the pulp inflamed or infected. In these cases, you will need to see a specialist.
A fracture that affects the pulp can cause pain and make it hard to bite or chew. In this case, you will need to choose between getting the tooth removed or having a root canal. A root canal is usually the better option, but your dentist should advise you appropriately.
Luxated Teeth
A dental injury can cause a tooth to become dislodged or luxated. This means the tooth can be pushed sideways, out of its socket, or deeper into the socket. An endodontist can reposition the tooth and stabilize it with a splint. They will usually start a root canal treatment a few days after the injury. If you decide to delay the root canal for your child or yourself, make sure a dentist takes close observation of the injury.
Avulsed Teeth
When a tooth is completely knocked out, it is called an avulsed tooth. While it is easy to panic, acting quickly can save the tooth. It is best to get treatment within 30 minutes of the tooth falling out. If you are not near a dental clinic, carefully pick the knocked-out tooth by its crown and place it in a container with some saliva. Preserve it and find a dentist within 24 hours.
First Aid for Dental Trauma
As soon as the injury happens, the steps taken determine the possibility of the injury healing well. Here are a few of the recommended emergency dental care first aid responses.
Check the Airway
First, ensure the airway of the injured person is clear, and check if there is a risk of blood going down the throat. If there is swelling in the mouth, tongue, or throat, position the person on their side to keep the airway open.
Control Bleeding
To control any bleeding, apply pressure to the wound. Fold a clean tissue and have the person press it firmly on the bleeding area for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Apply a Cold Compress
Applying a very cold compression to the outside of the mouth near the affected tooth can reduce swelling. It should also help to alleviate mild pain.
Store a Knocked-Out Tooth
If a tooth has been knocked out, handle it by the crown. Gently rinse the tooth with water and try to place it back in its socket, holding it in place with a clean cloth. If you cannot put it back in the socket, store the tooth in a container of milk or saliva until you can see a dentist.
Seek Professional Treatment
Visit a dentist as soon as possible for a proper diagnosis and treatment of the tooth injury. In severe cases, such as a knocked-out tooth with continuous bleeding, immediate treatment can significantly improve the chances of a positive outcome.
When to Seek Immediate Dental Care
Dental trauma can lead to lifelong defects if not addressed urgently. There are a few specific situations when you should seek medical attention urgently. You must also see a dentist if you have heavy bleeding. In cases where you have a knocked-out tooth, you must see a dentist within 24 hours. Follow all the first aid steps above and seek medical attention. Make sure you see a dentist urgently to prevent further complications from occurring.
Treatment Options for Dental Injuries
Dentists have several methods for treating traumatic dental injuries. The appropriate treatment depends on the specific type of injury you have. Common treatments include dental fillings and bonding, root canal therapy, restabilization or replantation, tooth extraction, and tooth replacement. A root canal treatment is applied where the tooth has an internal injury but is not broken or fractured. Tooth extraction may be used when the tooth is damaged beyond restabilization. In most cases, if an extraction occurs, you will also need a replacement.
If you have suffered a serious dental injury, talk to us to get assistance. Our emergency dentist is available to help you with your dental trauma. Contact Bijan Family Dental Practice at (714) 421-4494 for assistance. |