Tooth Trauma — What You Should Do

Dental trauma can occur anytime due to accidents like motor collisions, trips and falls, and sports-related injuries.

Dental trauma can be painful and put your general health and comfort at bigger risk if not given urgent care.

Dental trauma is an injury to the teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues like lips, tongue, and jawbone. It is usually painful; however, when they are not, it is vital to go for a dental examination to understand the underlying issue, which could be nerve damage.

Types of Dental Trauma

Injuries sustained during dental trauma depend on the cause of the injuries, the affected part, and the extent of the damage.

Common types are dental trauma

●     Fractured or Chipped Tooth.

A fractured tooth is a painful crack in the hard shell of the tooth. The fracture can either be a simple fracture or a severe fracture.

In a simple fracture, the tooth is still attached to the enamel and does not cause severe discomfort.

 A severe fracture exposes the sensitive part of the teeth, which causes severe pains and discomfort. The affected teeth become sensitive to heat, cold, and touch.

●     Tooth Luxation

A serious collision can cause tooth luxation, which is tooth displacement. The displacement can either be inward or outward and even sideward. Inward displacement causes the teeth to sink deeper into the enamel or hang loosely out of it.

A severe blow may knock out the teeth entirely and cause damage to the surrounding bones and soft tissues.

●     Soft Tissues Injuries

When soft tissues like the cheek, gums, lips, and tongue get injured, the result is usually bleeding. The most common causes of soft tissue injuries are biting down on something hard, a car accident, and burn from hot food and drinks.

Treatment Dental Trauma

Dental trauma is treated based on the nature of the trauma. However, all cases of dental trauma should be reported and examined by a dentist arana hills.

For Fractured Tooth

• Clean the tooth and find the broken piece.
• Clean the injury area and apply a cold compress on the cheek in case of swelling.
• Visit your dentist after first aid.

For Tooth Luxation

• Try to move the teeth into their normal position with light pressure. Do not force.
• Bite down hard to keep the tooth still.
• Visit the dentist for extensive care.

For Soft Tissue Injury

• Rinse with cold water to clear out dirt.
• Cold compress the affected area to stop bleeding.
• Visit the emergency ward of the nearest hospital.

Prevention of Dental Trauma

Dental trauma is preventable. Below are safety precautions to reduce the risk of dental trauma.

• Wear a mouthguard, especially when playing contact sports. Also, when sleeping at night to prevent teeth grinding.
• Avoid chewing hard food items like bones, ice, and candy. Do not use your teeth to open bottled drinks.
• Fasten seat belts when driving. Seatbelts save lives by minimizing impact during collisions in car accidents.
• Be careful when walking trips and falls zones.
• Industrial workers should always wear a hard hat in industrial areas and construction sites.
• Keep an eye on children as they are more susceptible to dental trauma.