BLOG What is dental trauma? - Nakeji Dental Clinic

WHAT IS DENTAL TRAUMA?

A blow to the teeth can cause dental trauma. The tooth may become loose or shift position, a tooth fracture may occur, and the tooth may even fall out.

What is dental trauma?

Dental trauma is an injury to a tooth or several teeth as a consequence of a strong impact. As a result of the blow, there may be damage to the soft tissues of the mouth and to the teeth, which may become displaced, fractured or even come out of the alveolus (cavity in the bone in which the tooth is lodged).

More risk of dental trauma in athletes, children and in summer.

Athletes and children are most at risk for dental trauma. There are many contact sports. And children, because they are children, and they do a lot of physical activities and games that can cause collisions, blows and falls.

The most dangerous time of the year is summer. The explanation is that in the months with milder temperatures we tend to practice more outdoor activities. On the other hand, many of the sports and games we play outdoors are contact sports.

Main causes of dental trauma

The main causes of tooth knocks are as follows:

Blows due to sports practice, whose effect on teeth can be cushioned with the use of mouthguards.
Accidental falls, often in the home.
Fights.
Car accidents.
Chewing of hard foods.

The universal advice is to be careful! In relation to chewing, avoid hard foods. Extreme caution should be exercised when eating meat because of the bones or popcorn kernels that have not been popped. And never, under any circumstances, bite into an ice cube.

What can happen to the tooth due to a strong blow?

If your mouth receives a strong impact, one or more teeth could suffer some kind of injury.

The tooth could...

Moving (subluxation)
Having changed position (dislocation)
Change coloration
To insert into the gingiva, towards the bone (dental intrusion or intrusive luxation).
Breaking
Falling out of the alveolus (avulsion) and thus becoming detached

In addition, there could also be a maxillary fracture. An indication of this problem could be that the upper and lower teeth no longer fit together.

Can the broken piece of tooth or the knocked out tooth be saved?

If the trauma has broken a part of the tooth or has expelled it from the socket, there is a possibility of saving the tooth fragment or the piece that has fallen out.

If the tooth has come out of place, it is often possible for the dentist to reimplant it. To do this, it is necessary to follow the guidelines explained below.

What to do when there is dental trauma?

We explain what to do immediately after the impact that has probably damaged your teeth. Follow these indications and go urgently to a dentist if you have lost a tooth fragment or if you have suffered an avulsion or expulsion of a tooth.

How to react if the tooth moves?

If your tooth moves, do not touch it and go to the dental clinic as soon as possible.

What to do with the tooth that has fallen out?

he blow has caused the tooth to fall out.

Pick it up at the crown (the top of the tooth): it is very important that you do not touch the root.
Wash the tooth with water (apply a jet for about 10 seconds), cow's milk, saliva or saline solution.
You should now try to put the tooth back in its original place, the socket. If this is not possible, you can keep the tooth by placing it under your tongue, or between your cheeks and molar teeth. Another option is to keep the dislodged tooth hydrated in a container with some of the liquids mentioned in the previous point.
It is necessary to go to the dentist urgently with a safe tooth! The sooner you go to the dentist, the more likely it is that the tooth will be reimplanted.

As a point of interest, the first aid kit can be equipped with a kit to preserve the tooth that has fallen out.

What if the tooth is broken?

If you have lost a tooth fragment, retrieve the piece that has broken off and save it. You can keep it, for example, in a napkin. Remember not to touch the broken tooth. Many times the fragment can be reattached if you go to the dentist in less than an hour.

The dentist should always explore the mouth after a violent blow.

In all other cases, do not touch the tooth or subject it to pressure of any kind. There could be a fracture of the root, which is not visible at first sight. Even the nerve could have died, which would require a root canal. The dentist will explore your mouth and evaluate the damage that may have occurred.

If the tooth that has come out is a baby tooth, it is not necessary to follow this advice. However, it is necessary to visit the dentist to evaluate if the gum has been damaged or if there has been any other injury.

Remember that Nakeji Dental Tijuana Specialists are experts in dental rehabilitation, this and other cases, we are leaders in Mexico and Southern United States.