Dental Trauma

Dental trauma can happen to anyone. A toddler can fall down and hit their teeth on the side of a coffee table or your boss can become injured at the company co-ed baseball game. The effects of dental trauma vary based on a number of factors, including whether blood supply was cut off from the tooth. If you believe that you have experienced dental trauma, it is important that you are seen as soon as possible to minimize the damage. Call Tangredi Endodontics at (516) 746-3636 to schedule an appointment.

Dental trauma happens when there is an injury to your teeth, periodontium, or soft tissue. The periodontium refers to your gums, alveolar bone, or periodontal ligament. This can happen during a fall, injury, or an accident. Even relatively minor facial injuries could cause dental trauma. If you have any concerns about possible dental trauma, it is important to be seen by a trained dentist knowledgeable about dental trauma.

There are many types of dental trauma that can occur. This includes tooth or enamel fractures, displaced teeth, bruised gums, tooth root fractures, fractures to facial bone structures, soft tissue lacerations, and the loss of primary teeth. Sometimes, though not as often, dental trauma can change the spacing of your teeth. Often, young children can experience the loss of primary teeth while they are still learning to walk, run, jump, and climb.

The risks and negative side effects associated with dental trauma depend on what type of dental trauma you experience. A bruise or a mouth ulcer can heal without treatment over the course of a few weeks. However, dental trauma that dislodges or breaks a tooth needs treatment immediately to prevent pain from exposed nerves and to preserve the tooth. A tooth that has experienced trauma could die. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if a tooth has experienced trauma if you’re not a dentist.

The specific remedy for your dental trauma depends on the type, severity, and location of the trauma. For a fractured or chipped tooth, the broken piece might be able to be re-attached or it could require a filling. Depending on how much of the tooth broke off, a dental crown might be required. For dislodged teeth, a root canal might be required within a few days after the injury. For more complex dental trauma cases, you may need a dental splint or other measures. No matter what, quick treatment is key to the best outcomes for dental trauma.

If you don’t have another option, you can go to a general dentist for dental trauma, especially if it is after hours. Losing an adult tooth counts as a dental emergency. However, it is better to go to an endodontist as they have more specialized experience and training in treating dental trauma. 

If you have experienced dental trauma, you need a skilled endodontist who can help to preserve the health of your teeth. To schedule an appointment with a Garden City endodontics provider you can trust, call Tangredi Endodontics at (516) 746-3636.